Upside Down
by brucas025
Summary: BRUCAS. When Brooke Davis comes to California for two weeks, she expects to tan, swim and maybe shop. What she didn't expect was her parents' rebellious driver to turn her life upside down.
1. Trouble

"Well, for starters, the plane smelled like a fast food joint, old man, and airplane, and of course, I was stuck with the new born baby sitting directly behind me," Brooke complained into the telephone. The Blackberry was perched between her shoulder and her ear while her hands struggled to keep a firm grip on the four pieces of luggage she had brought with her.

"Did anything _good_ happen on the plane?" Haley teased.

"Well… I finally got to see the rerun of the Tila finale. And stop rolling your eyes at me! Even if I am cross the country, I can hear it! Don't be bitter, Hales. I know you're a Danny fan, but c'mon… Bobby's _hot_!"

The warm California air swept past her as she stepped out of LAX. "Okay fine, I admit it, but don't tell Nathan," Haley whispered and once again, Brooke could hear her roll her eyes.

"That would be a hot threesome…" Brooke mused. "But my limo's here. Mommy and daddy are so sweet with these amenities. Maybe they even put life-sized cardboard cut-outs of themselves to keep me company!"

Haley chuckled knowing that the Davis family _would_ pull something like that. "Be good, Brookie!"

"As long as you promise to be bad," she smirked into the phone.

"I'll try my best to fulfill your duties while you're away. Love you," and with a click, Haley's line went dead.

She approached the limo to see a good looking man, dressed in full black standing in front of the passenger door, cigarette in his hand.

"Well, you must be Brooke," he said before taking a final puff. He threw the cigarette below his foot and stepped on it to put it out. He leaned back up against the limo, a hand tucked into each of his pockets. She noticed how much younger he looked up close. She also couldn't help but notice how un-cookie-cutter he seemed. Most of her parents' past drivers wore uniforms and hats, and were around fifty years old. Seeing the boy before her, employed by Victoria and Maxwell Davis was definitely weird, considering that they would probably slit their wrists on the spot if she had brought someone home who looked like this guy. They were more into the pastel-polo-shirt-and-khaki-pants type. His black t-shirt hugged his arms in a way that showed off his muscular frame and an undistinguishable tattoo peeked out from under his left sleeve. His dark jeans hung loosely on him, as if they belonged to someone slightly larger. His blonde hair was messy and his blue eyes were piercing. Good looking was an understatement.

"That's me," she said with a smile. "And you are…?"

"Your driver actually," he stated as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"My parents picked _you_ to be their new driver?" she said, her jaw dropping slightly.

He chuckled lightly, not offended by the comment at all. "_Not_ exactly. Your parents aren't the type to pick a guy like me to work for them, as I'm sure you know. But my dad is a good friend of theirs… I got myself into a _little_ trouble a few months back. This is how I'm compensating my family."

"By working for mine?" she asked, utterly confused.

"It's a long story."

"And an even longer car ride. And even heavier luggage," she said, nodding toward the large Louis Vuitton suitcases that sat besides her on the curb.

"Yes, Miss Davis," the boy, whose name Brooke still hadn't asked for, stated. He rolled his eyes playfully as he picked up the bags and loaded them into the trunk. After a few moments of rearranging the luggage so that it all fit, he walked toward the front of the car, opening the back of the limo for Brooke.

"No, actually," she said before closing the door. "I'm not that type of girl. Plus, you owe me a story." With that, she stepped into the passenger seat with a small, playful wink and shut the door behind her.

The boy smiled at her as he walked around the front of the limo to his side of the car. He settled into the seat and turned on the ignition.

"So, I still haven't gotten your name, Mr. Rebel Turned Driver," Brooke stated as they pulled out of the airport.

He turned to her, darting his eyes between her and the road. "It's Lucas. Lucas Scott."

------------------------------------------

Coming to California wasn't _really_ to see her parents. Or at least that's what she tried to convince herself. She had a two week vacation from school, and junior year had proven to be a full out _bitch_ to say the least. And Brooke was not one who would be occupied staying in boring little Tree Hill for two full weeks, whether Haley and Rachel were there or not. C'mon, a girl who works hard has to play harder right? She needed time alone, time to unwind and party. She had SATs in a month, so preparing for those was _far_ from a walk through the park. And on top of that, the fashion show she and Haley had been planning for their school for the past nine months had _just_ taken place, so that had provided for more stress. On top of the usual homework, cheerleading practice, on top of her crazy social schedule and of course, the average high school drama, she needed a break. She hadn't even had time to worry about boys (in more than a one-night-stand way) in the past months due to her hectic schedule.

But Brooke was a girl that all boys wanted. She was poised, she was confident, she was smart and she was beautiful. Not to mention that she had an amazing body and loved to party. Although having boys always vying for your attention was nice, finding a _nice_ one had proven to be a challenge since she had discovered most guys would do and say _anything_ to get into her pants. She was a flirt and she _did_ hook up with guys who she didn't have a future or past with, but that didn't mean she was a slut. That just meant she was young and adventurous. Or drunk.

She loved to party, but she wasn't the type to pass out on the floor halfway through the night. She would dance and laugh, but she would always be able to compose herself at the drop of the hat… on most nights. Correction: on _some_ nights.

She had a wild side only because she had no one around to tame her. With her parents in California since she was fourteen and nannies officially out of the picture, she was forced to raise herself. Of course, Haley's parents were always there to help, but that didn't always cut it. However, the fact that for the most part, she was perfect, proved that you didn't have to turn out fucked up due to a fucked up circumstance.

_You create your own destiny, right?_

-----------------------------------------

"So, what kind of trouble did you get in to land you with such a glamorous job, Lucas Scott?" Brooke asked with a small smile playing on her lips. She kept her eyes focused on the road, avoiding eye contact with the boy sitting besides her. She liked his name. It rolled right off her tongue. _Lucas Scott_.

"It's complicated…" he said, clearly trying to avoid the subject. She saw him furrow his eyebrows out of the corner of her eye, but she refused to let him get out of telling her how he had gotten here.

"Well, I like complication. So, spill."

He cleared his throat before speaking again. "I've been getting into trouble ever since I was in junior high…." he started.

She turned toward him, her face placid. "What kind of trouble?"

Lucas took his right hand off the wheel for a moment and scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Initially fighting… then drinking… and then drugs…"

She nodded for him to continue, but her face was emotionless. She had met her fair share of so called "fuck-ups" and nothing Lucas said could faze her.

"It got really bad," he continued. "So my parents sent me to a three month rehab program and then this really private, really expensive boarding school in Arizona… _They_ wanted me to go to military school, but I talked them out of it…"

"How bad is 'bad?'" she asked skeptically. Sure, she'd seen boys with drug problems and she'd seen boys fight, but rehab and boarding school were something new.

"Bad as in me getting stabbed millimeters away from my right kidney during a fight at this party," he confessed. "And I was so high I didn't even feel it."

She put her hand over her mouth in shock not expecting bad to be _that_ bad. "What were you fighting over?"

He smirked slightly trying to ease the tension. "A girl."

She allowed herself to snicker slightly. "Boy gets stabbed for girl. Now _that's_ love," she commented before turning her attention back to the road. They were getting closer to the house, she noticed. She recognized the houses on this block.

"Yeah, but what about you? What's your secret?"

"I'm a dull, dull girl compared to you."

"You can't be that boring when you look like that," he said with a smirk as they pulled into the driveway.

Brooke felt her cheeks flame slightly as she observed the house from the passenger seat. Nothing had changed. There were no "Welcome Back Brooke!" banners or balloons. Just primly cut hedges and an elaborately immaculate landscaping job.

They pulled up the house, her door directly across from the house's front door. She opened the door excitedly and stepped into the warm Californian sun. She heard Lucas's door open behind her. She headed toward the door while he opened up the trunk and unloaded her luggage.

The door was unlocked, so she walked in.

"I'm here!" she announced happily. She walked toward the kitchen, assuming her parents would be waiting for her there.

Except, they weren't there. Instead, there was a note left on the counter.

_Hi darling. Welcome back. Your father had an important business emergency. We'll be back in a few days. Everything's at your disposal. Tell Rosalita to cook for you whenever you want to eat at home. Lucas will drive you wherever you need if you don't feel like driving. Be careful with him, Brooke._

_Always,  
Mommy & Daddy_

She felt the tears well up in her eyes momentarily before she choked them back.

"Well, it's good to know my parents aren't the only ones who think that nice stationary and a neatly written letter counts as _love_," Lucas commented from behind her. She rubbed her eyes of their stray tears quickly before turning to face him.

"Welcome to my life since I was born," she smiled, trying to conceal her disappointment.

She held the letter in her hand tightly, realizing what it said regarding Lucas. _Be careful with him._

She looked back up at him, unsure of if she should bring it up.

"What's the face for?" he asked after a moment.

"According to Victoria Davis, I should be careful with you."

He smirked and shrugged easily as he headed toward the refrigerator. "Well, Victoria Davis is a smart woman. I'm trouble," he said before taking a swig of the beer he had just retrieved.


	2. Mystery

**Wow. Thank you for all the comments everyone! They were piling in by the minute! I just want you guys to know that a lot of this is based on a guy I met over vacation. I mean, it's exaggerated for entertainment purposes (AKA, he wasn't my parents driver and it was Florida, not Cali), but the characters are a lot like the two of us. The only thing that's missing is my (or Brooke's) entire family watching every move she and "Lucas" make! Hahaha! Thanks for reading!**

--------------------------

Within an hour, Brooke had unpacked, changed into her bathing suit, and was laying out by the pool in her parents backyard. A book sat in her lap as she tried concentrating on it. But, truth be told, she was already bored.

"So, is this what you intend to do for two weeks straight?" Lucas asked, approaching her from the other side of the pool. He had changed into a more comfortable outfit of blue board shorts and a white ribbed tank top (she had no clue where he had gotten the extra outfit) and his tattoo and well-defined arms were now in full view.

She looked up from her book. "Maybe. Occasionally, I'll probably swim or even lay out and tan on a raft _in_ the pool… just to switch it up a little," she teased.

He smiled as he slid into the lounge chair beside her. "So…" he started. "You never told me a secret."

"First, you tell _me _one," she said, pretending to be in-depth with her reading.

"That's not fair, I told you _my_ background!" he protested.

"But that's not a secret. A secret is something no one else knows besides _you_. And _maybe_ your parents if it has to do with some embarrassing body deformity you have."

He laughed at the comment. "Fine. Here's my secret; I tell people my tattoo is the Chinese symbol for 'strength' when it really means 'yoo wan' fortune cookie?'" he said, making sure he emphasized the 'Chinese' accent at the end.

She turned to face him before bursting into laughter. "So, a rebel and a comedian," she said once she caught her breath. "Any other occupations I should know about?"

"Well, don't tell anyone, but I used to be a porn star. _That's_ a secret you _have_ to keep."

She laughed again and gave him a playful shove.

"Now, you tell me a secret," he said with a smirk.

"I have no secrets," she replied mysteriously before standing up and diving gracefully into the pool.

She sank underneath the cool water and smiled to herself. She loved being on vacation where she could be _anyone_ she wanted to be. Having that power made her feel strong, like she could change anything about herself with just a small lie. Unfortunately, Brooke was a girl who couldn't change herself for all the money in the world, vacation or not. But having the power made her feel _mysterious_.

She swam to the surface, her head breaking the cool water swiftly. She looked toward the lounge chairs to find them all empty. Lucas was gone.

--------------------------------------

Her parents' house felt empty and lonely, and it had only been a few hours.

The sun was setting outside and Lucas had been no where in sight since their rendezvous at the pool.

"Miss Davis, will you be eating dinner here?" Rosalita asked her in her heavy accent as she sat at the kitchen counter.

"I guess so…" Brooke sighed. She wished she knew someone here, someone who could take her out, to bring her to a good restaurant. Someone she could be with so she didn't have to be alone.

"No you're not," a voice said from behind her. She turned her head to find Lucas standing in the kitchen doorway, clad in the same outfit as she had seen him in before.

"I'm not?" she asked in confusion.

"Na, I'm taking her out, Rosie. Take the night off," he said focusing on the housekeeper. He gave her a quick wink and Rosalita chuckled and waved a hand dismissively. Rosalita left the room, leaving the two alone. Lucas walked over toward Brooke.

"You are?" Brooke said from her chair.

"Yeah. I mean, unless you want to eat alone."

She contemplated for a moment, only to tease him. "Hm, I _guess_ I'll go with you."

"Well, I'm _sure_ you'll have a good time with me. Am I dismissed of my chauffeuring duties to go home and change out of this dirty shit?"

"You're dismissed," she said before sticking her tongue out.

She couldn't help notice that he smelled like cologne that was just dipped in weed and cigarette ashes.

"I'll pick you up around 8?" he said over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Sounds good," she smiled to herself.

And with that, once again, he was out the door.

---------------------------------

"Okay, I kind of lied…"

They were sitting in Lucas's old red convertible driving down Sunset Boulevard. "I'm not taking you for a real dinner."

"Then where are we going, Rebel Driver?"

He smiled at the nickname. "Hm. I like that. Makes me feel…"

"Rebellious? Or like a chauffer?" she finished. He nodded and rolled his eyes playfully. "So, you kidnapped me, and now where are we going?"

Her curly brown locks blew in the wind and she had to continuously push back her stray hairs. Lucas was wearing a white button up with dark jeans. He cleaned up well, that was for sure. But, the smell of cigarettes still lingered on him.

"This fancy hotel down the block. Brand new. Since it's vacation, that's where everyone from around here as been hanging out at night."

"That's so tourist-y, no?"

"It is," he admitted. "But the beach is _gorgeous_ and they have three bars, four restaurants and other retarded tourist shit. And, they take my fake ID."

She laughed lightly. "Sounds good. I could use a drink… And speaking of fake IDs, you never told me how old you are."

"Eighteen," he said swiftly.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god. When I first met you, I thought you were in your thirties!"

"Confession. I'm fourty-two," he blurted with a smile.

"That's lie number two of the night, you better watch yourself…" she teased.

"Fine, I really am eighteen. Turning nineteen in a month. How about you?"

"Seventeen," she said softly. She felt so young and inexperienced compared to him. He had already seen more in his nineteen years than most people see in their lifetimes.

Suddenly, Lucas's cell phone rang from his pocket. As they pulled up to a red light, he quickly fished it out. He looked at Brooke apologetically before answering the phone.

"Hello?... Hi… Yeah, I know… Are you having fun?... Yeah, it's okay… Listen, I'm driving… To the hotel… Okay, I'll call you tonight."

Brooke couldn't help but feel curious. His tone was so abrupt, as if he was ashamed to be on the phone in front of her.

She took a deep breath, holding back her question. But, it only was a matter of seconds before she blurted it.

"Girlfriend?"

"Na, not really," he said instantly.

"_Not really?_ What does that even mean!?" she chuckled.

"She's a close girl friend…"

"…who you're completely platonic with?" she hoped aloud.

"Yeah," he answered. Brooke didn't want to push the subject further, and plus, they were coming up the driveway of the hotel. "This is it."

The hotel was beautiful. There were two towers that were connected by two bridges between them that people were able to walk through.

Lucas pulled up to the closest valet and stepped out of the car. As Brooke reached for her own door, it opened to Lucas standing before her, his hand on the handle. "After you, madam," he said in an English accent.

"Wow, you're really getting good at this whole 'driver' thing," she commented as she stepped out of the car.

They walked into the lobby to find a giant Christmas tree dressed in gold ornaments. "Oh, wow, that's beautiful," Brooke commented.

"Yeah, it is. Let's go find some people for you to meet. My friends are around here somewhere…" he thought aloud. She nodded and trailed behind him as he made his way over to a table occupied by teenagers. The group was rowdy, all of them laughing and sipping martinis, margaritas and other exotic drinks.

"Lucas Scott!" one girl yelled once she saw him approaching. The other five at the table immediately turned their attention to him.

"Hey Rach," he said, coming behind the redhead girl and pecking her on the cheek. "What's up, everyone?" he announced, addressing the whole table.

The table erupted in talking once again as Brooke stood by Lucas' side in silence. "Hey, everyone, this is Brooke Davis. Brooke, this is Skillz, Rachel, Krystal, Owen, Mouth and Peyton."

Everyone started saying hi, asking Brooke questions. _Where are you from? How old are you? How do you know Lucas?_

Soon, Skillz had pulled over two chairs for both Lucas and Brooke, and the entire table was chatting. Brooke immediately felt welcomed by Lucas's friends. Brooke was soon absorbed in a conversation with Rachel while Lucas talked to Mouth about basketball. He would look over at her every now and then and throw her a quick wink or smile, just to let her know that he hadn't forgotten about her. She would occasionally glance over at him while he wasn't aware and notice that he was text messaging under the table. She would also hear the occasional vibrate of his cell phone, but she disregarded it.

About an hour had passed when she felt a hand on her arm.

"Do you wanna go get a drink and then go take a walk on the beach or something?" Lucas whispered into her ear once he had gotten her attention.

This sent chills up her spine instantly. She nodded. They quickly said their goodbyes to the group, Lucas explaining that Brooke wanted a tour of the pool deck, and they headed toward the closest bar. As they stood in front of it, Lucas slipped out his fake ID and ordered a bottle of champagne. "Ready?" he said once he had the bottle with two glasses in his hands.

With a wide, dimple encrusted smile, she nodded and the two headed toward the revolving doors that led to the pools and beach.

The entire upper pool deck was black besides the glowing aquamarine pool. It had a glass bottom so that the people on the lower deck could see who was swimming above them. They walked down the stairs to the lower deck, and then around the cabanas toward the beach entrance. The hotel's outside was gorgeous, at least from what Brooke could see in the dark.

They finally found their way to the entrance ramp to the beach. She slipped off her sandals and rolled up her skinny jeans to her knees revealing half of her toned legs. Lucas took off his sandals as well but didn't bother rolling up his jeans.

"Let me take those," Brooke offered, grabbing the sandals. Lucas's hands were occupied by the champagne bottles and glasses. He didn't need another thing to carry.

"Thank you," he said and smiled at her. They walked down toward the edge of the beach, where the water met the sand.

Brooke pulled off her jacket and put it onto the sandy ground, where she planned on sitting. The beach was cool, but it felt good against her bare arms. Lucas plopped down next to her easily. He was a safe distance away, which made Brooke smile. It should've been awkward, but it wasn't at all.

Lucas poured champagne into each glass as Brooke stared at the crashing waves.

"I love it here," she mused.

"California or just the beach in general?"

"The beach. It's just so…"

"Perfect," he said, finishing her sentence.

"Yeah, _perfect_," she said with a small smile.

Lucas handed her a glass of champagne and she took a small sip allowing the bubbles to tickle her throat.

She turned to face him rather than the ocean making complete eye contact with him.

"So, what's the deal with this girl that you've been texting all night?" she asked nonchalantly.


	3. Entwined

"So, what do you think they're doing right now?" Owen whispered to Rachel, who was sitting next to him, with a sly look on his face.

"What do you mean? He's showing her around…"

"You can't _seriously_ believe that. If I know Lucas Scott, and I _know_ Lucas Scott, he's pulling the infamous moves…"

"You mean they're hooking up?" Rachel asked with furrowed eyebrows. "But he wouldn't do that, would he?"

"I guess we'll find out when they come back if she's smiling that goofy girl smile that you girls get after you get laid, right?"

Rachel shoved him playfully before turning her head to face the rest of the table. She knew Lucas was trouble, but she didn't know that he was the type of guy to play games like that.

------------------------------

"What girl?" Lucas said in an overly confused way which made it clear that he didn't want Brooke to know who this girl was.

"Don't play dumb," she said with a playful shove.

He sighed before lying back onto the sand, putting his hand behind his head to avoid getting sand in his hair. "She's a good friend," he confessed. "It's the same girl who called me before."

The waves crashed and came close enough to get the tips of their toes wet, but it fell back before coming any closer.

"Hm. For two completely platonic friends, you guys sure talk a lot," she said half-teasing, trying to get more information out of him. She focused on the water in front of her in order to escape those blue eyes of his.

"We hook up," he mumbled as he sat up. "But it's nothing serious. No feelings. She hooks up with other guys; I hook up with other girls. It's like…"

"Friends with benefits," Brooke finished, knowing the scenario all too well.

As she finished her sentence, his phone began vibrating again. "I'm gonna ignore it," he stated as he sat up and brushed his jeans off. She knew who it was without him even saying it.

"No, don't," she smiled. "She clearly likes you. Just answer it and make her happy."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I've been there," she admitted.

She had been there, one time and one time only. The only time a physical attraction had developed into something more… at least on her part. She had finally confessed how she felt after months of pure sex only to find that he didn't feel the same. But this was not the right time to be thinking about him.

Lucas answered the phone. The conversation was small talk until he finally said something that bothered Brooke.

"No, I'm not with any girls," he said with a roll of his eyes.

Brooke's shoulders sank with the blow of the sentence. It was as if she wasn't good enough to be seen with or spoken of. Part of her knew it was because he didn't want to hurt this girl, whoever she was. But, she also felt like she was being used. Once he hung up the phone (after a few more assurances that he was being "good"), Brooke spoke again.

"So, for a guy who has no feelings for this girl, you're really careful about what you tell her," she said, trying to contain her attitude.

"I don't want to hurt her. She's on vacation in Aruba. You think she's not hooking up with other guys? It's like, we both hook up with other people, but we don't tell each other. It's just implied."

"She likes you," Brooke insisted. "I can tell."

"Na…" he said with a dismissive wave. "It's just physical."

"I've had my fair share of friends with benefits, and I never, not _once_, called them or texted them unless it's saying 'come over, I want you now,'" she insisted.

He contemplated the concept for a moment. "Now you're making me feel bad."

"Why?"

"Because, I'm here with_ you, _not her,and I'm _so _tempted to kiss you, I don't think I can handle it anymore."

She was flattered by the comment, but wouldn't let it show on her face. There was one rule, and one rule only that Brooke Penelope Davis followed. That rule was "hoes over bros." No matter what, no matter whom the girl was or how badly she wanted the guy, she was _not _going to be a home wrecker. Especially with a guy she hardly even knew.

She smiled weakly, only showing hints of the dimples that could make anyone swoon. He placed his hands down at each side, leaning back to enjoy the view, and in the process, accidentally, his right hand grazed her left one.

She immediately felt the electricity jolt between them. She looked over to see if he had felt the same, and immediately, she was met by his piercing blue eyes.

"Tell me more about yourself," she insisted breaking them of their intense gaze.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, almost in a whisper.

"Everything. _Anything_."

"I was adopted," he said suddenly. She looked into his eyes. They had suddenly become so vulnerable when they had been so strong moments before. "And… well, my adoptive mom… she," he gulped. "She died when I was seven."

Suddenly, she had the most overwhelming desire to hold his hand. Not to kiss him. Not to run her hands all over his body. She just wanted to hold hands with this boy who sat before her and wanted to protect him from the memories that he was reliving before her.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Yeah. My dad got remarried a year later. His new wife, Karen, had one kid of her own from another marriage and then the two of them had a baby together."

She reached out and put her hand on top of his, unable to resist the urge anymore.

He looked down at their hands, her small, fragile hand covering his large, scar covered one. He noticed how her nails were perfectly manicured. How she had a ruby ring on her ring finger. How small her hand seemed in comparison to his. Then he noticed his hand. Small, white scars were etched into his knuckles; a reminder of his past. She looked down upon their hands, seeing the same image. His nails were bitten down and the scars were bright and electric on his tan skin, even in the dark. She ran her thumb over one of the larger ones.

"What is this one from?"

He chuckled lightly. "I wish I knew. Each one of these is from a different fight, but I have no idea which scar belongs to which fight."

He finally pulled his hand from underneath hers. As she began to feel panic set in at the retraction of his strong hand, his fingers effortlessly laced with hers. A warm feeling spread throughout her chest feeling his large hand engulf hers; a sense of security.

"Your girlfriend wouldn't be happy," she whispered. She suddenly felt ashamed of being there with him. She didn't want to be a home wrecker. She didn't want to be _the other girl._

Yet, she couldn't let go of his hand.

"She's not my girlfriend," he said, shaking his head. "She's not my girlfriend."

She couldn't tell if he was repeating the line to convince _her_ or to convince _himself_.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt," she whispered almost inaudibly.

"No one is going to get hurt except for me if you reject this," he said as he leaned toward her.

"Reject what?" she whispered when their lips were mere inches apart.

He leaned in and kissed her. She resisted at first, but almost immediately found her body unable to resist. She leaned further in, molding to fit into his strong body. He removed his hand from hers and he placed it on the back of her head, pulling her in even closer to him in desperation to be as close as possible. He pulled on her lower lip gently and she felt the butterflies swirling within her stomach. After a few more seconds, he pulled back with a smile on his face.

"That," he smirked, before leaning in and kissing her once again.

"You're a good kisser," she remarked with a smirk once they had broken apart moments later.

"And you're not?"

She smiled.

"I wanna know about you," he stated, once again interlocking their fingers. She looked down and smiled at the sight and suddenly realized how comfortable she was with this boy that she hardly knew.

But maybe that's why she was comfortable. Because she hardly knew him and she had only two weeks to get to know him. Something about the situation, the fact that they had a set amount of time, made it safe, yet exhilarating.

"What do you wanna know?"

"Anything. _Everything_."

A grin set in on her face revealing her dimples, completely full fledged and untainted. She moved toward him and he slinked his arm around her waist.

"Ask me anything. I'm an open book."

"Anything? Hm… what's your favorite color?" he asked innocently. This question elicited a laugh from her. "Don't laugh! You said _anything_!" he protested after her laughter had faded into giggles. He reached for the bottle of champagne and took a swig, completely ignoring the filled cup besides him, before handing it to her. Brooke hesitantly followed his lead and let the cold bubbles fill her throat.

"You're right, you're right. My favorite color is red. What's yours?" she said trying to remain serious.

"Green… but not that bright annoying green. And not lime green. Dark green. Kinda like the green in your eyes," he commented with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes playfully although she _was_ flattered by the comment. "You're so stupid."

"Why?!" he asked, taken aback.

"You don't need to pull the lines on me," she stated before kissing him lightly. "I'm here, aren't I?"

Lucas thought about it for a minute. He didn't know why he was trying this hard with a girl who clearly was interested in him. But something about Brooke seemed challenging, as if his lines weren't good enough… as if _he_ wasn't good enough. Right now, he was the family driver and 'poor little rich boy' and she was the rich girl on vacation who was probably trying to escape guys like him.

"Yeah, you are," he said smiling weakly and pulling her in for another kiss. He kissed her harder this time making sure she was as close as possible. His hand moved to the small of her back and underneath her shirt, but only slightly. She shivered as the air and his hand brushed her flesh. He pulled back and kissed her ear and she giggled. "Stop!" she managed to muster unable to take it anymore.

"Oh, so I guess I found your _spot_," he smirked. He kissed her again and could feel her smile against his lips.

Then, his cell phone rang.

He ignored it.


	4. Sunrise

**This is kind've a filler, but it sets up some future drama. Thank you for all the incredible reviews! Special shouts to adorkabelle90210, Rianna, missdenmark, and anyone else who left ridiculously long reviews. Honestly, I've never gotten such detailed ones in my life and it's so nice to get more than just the monotonous "great story, update soon," ya know? So thank you, thank you, thank you! Enjoy!**

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She sat in her bed playing Brick Breaker on the silver Blackberry to keep her mind off of him. He hadn't called her to make sure she got into the house safely nor had he texted her. She squinted her eyes to make out the numbers on the clock besides her bed: 3:03AM. It had been an hour since he had dropped her off.

An hour and a half since they had sat in his car kissing until yet _another _cell phone call from the "friend with benefits" had interrupted them.

Two hours and ten minutes since Rachel and Owen had come over to them, Rachel whispering in her ear: "Did you hook up?" only to find Brooke shaking her head "no" fiercely and her cheeks flaming.

Two hours since they came back in from the pool deck to sit by the bar.

_Why hadn't he texted?_

She tried to keep her eyes focused for a few more minutes. _Just to beat this level,_ she told herself, but she knew it was for the possibility of him texting her. She had thought he liked her. She thought he was interested. But, apparently, she thought wrong…

She watched the small black ball demolish two more bricks before the cell phone vibrated softly. She jumped with the sudden motion and quickly clicked into her inbox. _Haley_. She sighed with disappointment before opening the message.

'_Out partying without you… doesn't feel right! Rach and Nate are taking a shot for you as I write this. Miss you B!'_

Brooke smiled at the message feeling slightly consoled. _Who am I kidding? I don't care_,she thought to herself before tossing the phone onto the other side of the king sized bed. She turned her head the other way, trying to ignore the taunting phone. 3:11AM.

Finally, as she crawled under the comforter, the phone vibrated again. This time, she hesitantly reached for it, not wanting to get her hopes up.

_Lucas. _

It was him. He didn't forget her as fast as she thought he had.

'_Hey you. If you're normal, you're probably sleeping… but I had fun tonight. Call me tomorrow morning if you wanna go out for breakfast?'_

She smiled down at the text message for a moment before responding:

'_Took you long enough! I guess I'm not normal 'cause I'm up. I had fun too. B-fast sounds good ____"_

She clicked the 'send' button hesitantly, afraid that her text message sounded desperate. After a few more seconds of contemplation, she decided it was good enough and clicked send. Once again, she tossed the cell phone away from her hoping that it would help her to stop thinking about him.

_Bzzzzzzzzz_

She quickly dove for it and opened the text.

'_Sorry – I've been on the phone, but you know I'd rather be talking to you. I'll call you in the morning. G'night ____'_

Her heart dropped. He was on the phone… presumably with the overly desperate girl who was in Aruba. She felt stupid. Stupid for letting him use these lines on her and stupid for letting him get away with ignoring her for a girl who was thousands of miles away. Part of her wanted to ignore the text and end things before they got heated, but the other part of her was so intrigued by him that she couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen between the two by the end of her vacation.

'_Okay,' _she wrote. _'Gnight.'_

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It was 7:00AM and Brooke was ready to go crazy. She had gotten up a half hour ago and had felt restless from the moment her eyes opened. So, as she tied the laces on her sneakers, she promised herself that she would find a new hobby while she was in California… one that didn't involve a certain blonde-haired-blue-eyed boy.

She walked out the front door and began jogging down the block.

Brooke knew something was wrong with her immediately: she never exercised by choice.

She ran in the direction of the boardwalk the iPod buds tucked neatly into her ears. Her hair was pulled back save for a few stray hairs that encircled her face. The old Britney Spears songs took over her head forcing thoughts of Lucas out of it for the first time since she had awoken. She jogged down the boardwalk and observed all of the people eating early breakfasts together. Couples and families. Lovers and friends. They all laughed and smiled at one another contentedly and for the first time, Brooke longed for someone to make her feel that way.

After about fifteen minutes she decided that clearly, she was not made to be a runner. So, she walked into one of the opened shops along the strip and grabbed a water bottle. As she walked to the register, she realized she recognized the person behind the counter: Owen, Lucas's friend.

"Hey," he said with a crooked smile. "What's doing?"

"Nothing," she said giddily. The endorphins were kicking in and she felt lightheaded, in a so-happy-that-I'm-floating-on-cloud-9 way. "How was the rest of your night?"

"It was good… but it seemed like yours was better," he smirked.

She felt her cheeks redden but blamed it on the work-out. "Mine was okay," she admitted. "Yeah, it _was_ good."

"You broke my heart when you walked away with him," Owen admitted, clutching his chest dramatically.

She tilted her head to the side and let out a laugh. "Oh, don't be silly… you don't want me. I'm a snobby rich girl," she said with a dismissive wave.

"From what I know about you so far, you're the ultimate girl," he said, his face turning serious.

She forced a smile, suddenly feeling awkward in the situation. The tension between them became suffocating as he handed her the cold water bottle.

"Well," she said, breaking the silence. "I guess I'll see you tonight if I go out with Lucas again."

"And if I'm lucky, I'll be the one taking you home this time," he flirted. He winked at her casually and she walked toward the door.

"Hey Brooke?" Owen called out as she opened the door. She turned over her shoulder to face him. "Be careful with him, ya know?"

She smiled at him sympathetically and walked out the door… but not without registering the second warning about Lucas Scott since she had arrived.

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"Babe, I gotta go," he said abruptly into the phone. "I'm meeting some people for lunch." He slid the key into the ignition and started the car.

"_I feel like you don't want to talk to me lately," she admitted. The sun was beating down on her flat stomach and she saw the tan dark-haired boy checking her out. She gave him the finger quickly before rolling her eyes and returning to her conversation with Lucas. _

"I do baby, you know I'd rather talk to you than go to lunch. And I can't believe you'd even say that after our conversation last night," he said with a sexy smirk planted on his face.

_She thought about the conversation and felt goose bumps crawl up her spine and spread all over her body. He had such a way with words that could make any girl crumble… or get into bed with him. That's what worried her. "Yeah, I know… but… I don't know. Just be good for me?"_

"You know the only time I'm bad is with you," he smirked, once again.

"_Oh, PS – you should be so proud. This sexy guy was checking me out just now… and I gave him the finger. I'm getting good, huh?"_

He rolled his eyes, his face turning expressionless as he turned into the diner. "You're practically an angel," he replied sarcastically. "Okay, I gotta go. I'll talk to you tonight?"

"_Probably before that too," she admitted. "I…"_

He closed the phone, unable to listen to her any more. _I'll just blame it on no service_, he decided mentally.

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"Hey stud," Brooke purred, leaning against her car. He had parked right next to her and couldn't help but notice how sexy she looked in just a pair of super short, torn up jean shorts and a tight white t-shirt as he stepped out of his car. "Rule #1 to taking a hungry Brooke Davis out: you never keep her waiting."

He chuckled lightly before kissing her lightly on the cheek. "I'm sorry… needy booty call needs booty in Aruba."

"Very funny," she said, not wanting to touch on that subject this early in the morning. "So, we ever gonna eat or what?"

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They eased into the booth, each flipping through the menu.

"So," Brooke started as she read down the list of breakfasts. "I ran into Owen this morning."

"Really? Where?" he asked confusedly, putting down his menu. He had decided what he wanted: a big fucking stack of pancakes. With powdered sugar. And lots of syrup.

"Some little store on the boardwalk. He said some really weird shit to me…"

"Like what?" he asked with a wrinkled forehead and knitted eyebrows.

"I don't know. I think he was hitting on me, but not regular 'Do you have a mirror in your pocket? 'Cause I can see you in my pants' flirting… It was like, saying I 'should've left with him' flirting."

"I'll fucking kill him if he touches you," he said sternly. He rubbed the tattooed arm in agitation and Brooke couldn't help remember what Owen had said. _Be careful with him._

"I wouldn't let him, don't worry," she promised, hoping that it would calm him a little bit.

"Promise?" he said, his smile becoming warmer.

"Pinky swear," she said holding out her pinky. He took it with a laugh before each of them kissed their hands.

"So, what do you wanna do after this?" he asked. "Go to the beach, your house, my house, _my bed_?" he hinted with a quick wink. She shot him a look that said "yeah, I'd wanna fuck me too, but you're gonna have to fight for it," but at the same time, it was still seductive.

"Let's eat first. I mean, after you see the amount I'm gonna devour, you might decide that I'm too much for you to handle," she smirked.

"Are you saying I can't handle _you_?"

"You bet I am," she smiled, oozing confidence.

"We'll find out about that when it comes down to it…"

"If you even get that far. I mean, I have another guy vying for me too… your dear friend Owen, and he's hot," she teased.

"Hey, don't joke. You're mine until the second you leave."

And part of him actually meant it.


	5. Lust

**Okay, I'm sorry for the confusion! There aren't two Rachels. I accidentally wrote a Rachel into the group in California when there shouldn't have been one. The Rachel in Tree Hill is Rachel Gatina. Just disregard the name Rachel in California… she's just a random girl. Thank you once again for the incredible reviews! I love how everyone has such different spins on what's going on and what some of the dialogue is interpreted as! Anyway, enjoy this chapter! xoxoxo**

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She picked at her food nervously before speaking again. She was afraid to push the subject, but she just _had_ to know about the F.W.B, or _whatever_ she was, in Aruba. Although she didn't want to know the details, something in her heart felt it was necessary. She needed a guarantee that he wasn't the jerk that her mother and Owen had warned her about before she spent too much time with him or did anything stupid with him.

"So," she said, her eyes locking with his intensely. "Tell me more about Aruba Girl."

"What is there to tell, Brooke?" he said with furrowed eyebrows. "I really don't want to talk about her…" He shifted in his seat uncomfortably and took another bite of his scrambled egg.

"I just wanna know about her. Is she hot?" she asked, trying to sound completely casual and detached.

"Am I supposed to answer these truthfully or am I supposed to be telling you what you wanna hear?"

"Truthfully, please," she said, mustering a smile. She silently hoped that the truth and what she wanted to hear were equivalent.

"She's like, the hot best friend that you can hook up with and then act completely normal with in school, ya know?"

"I don't get it. How can you be best friends and hook up and tell me that there's absolutely no feelings involved whatsoever?"

"There just aren't."

She sighed. Something in her gut told her that he was 'accidentally' leaving some details out whenever she brought up the subject.

"What does she look like?"

"Brooke… why are you doing this?"

"Because… you're not telling me something about this girl. I know it."

"I'm not leaving anything out," he assured her. But, her face was still determined, waiting for an answer. He sighed. "I don't have to tell you what she looks like. Wanna know why?"

"Why?" she challenged with a stubborn pout planted on her face. He wanted to ignore the question more than anything and just lean over the table and kiss that pouted bottom lip. No one else was important right now besides her. Anyway, Lindsey was in Aruba and she wouldn't be home for another two weeks. Brooke would be gone by then.

"Because, you're gorgeous," he admitted with a crooked smile. "And the difference between the two of you is that you're here right now, and she's not."

"That's only because she's in Aruba," she shot back.

"Even if she was here…"

"That's a lie. I can tell from the amount she calls you that she'd have you on a _very_ tight leash if she _were_ home."

"First of all, I work for you and the only reason I can take you out is because _you_, my _boss_, have given me permission," he smirked. "Second of all, she's not my girlfriend, so she has no control over me."

"Apparently, she does," she said, nodding toward the flashing phone next to him. He held down the "end" button until the screen went black.

"Better?"

She rolled her eyes playfully before taking a sip of her water. "Have you ever been in love?"

"Once…" he admitted. "Have you?"

"No."

"How is that possible? I'm sure every guy is begging for your attention at home."

"Stop trying to flatter your way into my pants!" she teased with a wide smile. "But, yeah, I get with guys… but no one really sees past my body. Nor do I even give them the chance."

"Why? It's not like you've had a bad break up that's shaken you up…"

"Yeah, I haven't had a bad break up, you're right," she stated. She thought about if she should continue, not wanting to let him in far enough to _really_ know her. But somehow, the words flowed off her tongue without her control or consent. "But I also _have _watched every girl around me cry over a boy that broke their heart and I've seen the same guys that promise 'forever' rebound right in front of their faces. I've stayed up countless nights not by choice, but because my parents were throwing expensive vases and other glassware, sometimes even Tupperware, at each other. And I've seen my best girls cry and cry because nothing lasts forever. All for 'love'. So I refuse to go there. Casual sex is so much easier."

"Oh, really? So, what happens when love is staring you in the face and you walk away from it because of your fear?"

"You call it fear, I call it _strength_," she stated, full of self assurance.

He stared at her for a moment. Maybe she was stronger than he had thought. Maybe she had the right idea. When he and Peyton had broken up, she broke his heart. They had only been freshman, and maybe he hadn't really known what love was. But, whatever he had felt for her was something strong. He should've let her set him straight, stopped all his stupid drug habits to be with her. And he didn't blame her for leaving him alone. He deserved it. Countless nights, he had to choose being sober with Peyton or being high with a group of friends at a party, and countless times, he chose the latter. And finally, she had gotten tired of his shit… It had taken her seven long months to figure it out, but Lucas Scott didn't give a damn about her, all he cared about was where his next fix was coming from.

Of course, Lucas hadn't realized this until Peyton dumped his ass. He stayed miserable for a week, his only comfort being booze and more cocaine than usual. Peyton leaving maximized all of his problems for the next year and a half until his parents _finally_ had enough of it…

"What's on your mind?" Brooke asked seeing his troubled face.

"Nothing really…" he stated, still distant.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Are you done eating?" he asked, shaking his head of his past.

"Yeah," she said as she pushed her plate away.

"Aright. I'm gonna drop you at home after this… I have something I have to do. But we can go out again tonight if you want? Dinner maybe?"

"Ugh, enough of the food…" she groaned. "I'm stuffed! You'll call me about dinner later."

He smiled at her as he grabbed her hand and they strolled out of the restaurant.

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"Haley… he's… _amazing_," she breathed into the phone.

"_Finally! I mean, c'mon… you can't sleep with random guys forever…"_

"But Hales, that's the thing… He _is_ another random guy. I mean, I haven't slept with him yet," she sighed. "But we have an expiration date. We're '_expiration dating,'_" she stated, quoting Carrie Bradshaw.

"_Maybe you can do long distance?"_

"No. I can't handle having a boyfriend right in front of my face, much less across the country. But anyway… he has some 'F.W.B.' thing, so it just won't work out…"

"_If you want it to work out, then it'll work out Brookie."_

"Everyone keeps warning me about him… First my mom in a letter… Then his friend…"

"_So maybe he has a rough past or something?"_

"He does. He used to get into fights and do drugs and shit…" She could hear Haley's uncertain face form from across the line. "He's done with it now though, obviously! Don't give me that face!"

"_What face?" she asked innocently, quickly returning to her usual smile._

"You know the face… The one that's all motherly and patronizing," she said while rolling her eyes. "But anyway. I don't know. My heart's telling me it's fine, but my head thinks my heart is a moron. I've wasted so much time putting up these walls and making sure I don't get attached…"

"_Well, maybe if he can get past your walls, it means he's really something special," she rationalized._

"My head disagrees."

"_So does mine, but I like hearing you happy over a boy. And like you said, you have another week with him and then, you're gone. So enjoy him while you're together."_

"Wow, that was so not a Haley comment! You're supposed to be talking me out of this! I better go fuck this boy immediately, while I have your permission!"

"_Hey! Don't take it that far! Just… have fun. You'll regret thinking too much. But, Nathan's waiting for me to tutor him, so I'm gonna go."_

"Tell him and Rach I say hi. Love ya, Hales."

"_Love you too, Brookie_."

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Lucas crept across the pool deck, trying to be as quiet as possible. Brooke was laying on a lounge chair napping. He tip-toed over and slowly, lowered himself so that he was hovering over her, supporting the weight of his body on his knees and hands.

Her eyes fluttered opened with the sudden movement.

"Hey sexy," he purred before planting a kiss on her neck.

"Hey you," she stated with a smirk. "I thought you had stuff to take care of."

"Well, I did… until I realized that you're here for a week and that the rest of my responsibilities aren't going anywhere."

"That's cute," she said, pulling him for a kiss.

"_You're_ cute. Now let's go," he said before grabbing her hand.

"Where?"

"My friends got a room at that hotel for the night. They have a few cases of beer, some music, and they want us to come," he said as he led her toward the house. "Actually, I'm pretty sure they don't care if I'm there or not. They probably just wanna see you in a bathing suit."

Brooke giggled as they ran up to her room hand-in-hand. "Put on a bathing suit and casual clothes. We'll come back here before we go for dinner."

"Fine," she smiled. "But I think you just want me to dress like a lazy bum because you don't want your friends hitting on me," she teased.

"That too…" he smirked. "I'll get out while you change." He began walking toward the door when Brooke pulled him back in.

"You can stay under one condition," she stated firmly, pulling at the hem of her shirt.

He took a step toward her. "What's that?"

"You can look… but you can't touch," she purred. She ran her fingers up his arm and watched goose bumps form on his flesh.

"I don't know if I can promise that. I'm gonna be tempted…"

"That's the point," she winked before beginning to take off her bikini top. She turned away from him so that he could only see her bare back. He watched it arch as she stretched, bringing her hands to her hair and flipping it. She slowly undid the two ties that held up each side of her bathing suit bottom, and he watched with hungry eyes as it dropped to the floor gracefully. She turned over her right shoulder and kinked her eyebrow.

"That's it… you can't do this to me," he stated as he walked toward her naked body.

"Really?" she said as she turned around revealing her curvaceous body. "I can't?"

"I'm breaking the rules," he stated as he lifted his shirt off to reveal his washboard stomach. He stood in front of her and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling her lips to his ear.

"You're just gonna have to wait for later," she promised before walking toward her dresser, still completely bare, and pulling out a bathing suit. He watched her, feeling defeated, as she slipped into a black bathing suit. Before he even knew what was happening, she was completely dressed and heading for the door.

"C'mon babe," she started. "Don't wanna make your friends wait."


	6. Answers

**Sorry for the lack of updates! School/midterms have been absolutely insane. It took me a week to get this chapter done (finally)! Thanks for the amazing reviews! 3**

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The muffled sound of blaring music ricocheted off the walls of the hallway as Lucas and Brooke walked down it side by side. Lucas casually slipped his hand into Brooke's as they walked together. She stopped in the hall and pulled him into her and kissed him hard.

"What was that for?" he asked with a grin.

"For being cute," she responded before taking his hand and continuing forward.

The music grew louder and louder as the approached the end of the hallway. Soon enough, the music was full-fledged and Lucas was knocking on the door of the suite. The sounds overtook the two as the door flew opened to reveal Owen's smirk and a messy hotel room.

"Well, well, well… What do we have here?" he said slyly.

Lucas felt the blood begin boiling within him. His fist clenched at the sight of Owen's smirk knowing that he had flirted with Brooke earlier. "What's up?" he asked tersely before pulling a smiling Brooke past Owen into the main room. Owen's mouth hung open, still ready to give a response. However, Brooke and Lucas were already gone.

The suite was huge, to say the least. A piano sat in the center of the living room with a plasma television a few feet away from it. A few people that Brooke recognized from the other night plus a few strangers were scattered on the couches. They each held beers or red cups filled with mixed drinks. Lucas quickly walked around the group, hi-fiving the boys and kissing each girl on the cheek. Further into the massive suite, Brooke could see a huge bathroom and two rooms, presumably bedrooms, adjacent to them. She quickly walked over to the people she knew, offering them hellos galore. On the balcony, she could see the silhouettes of four people. One person was straddling another and she could see enough to know that whoever the two were, they were making out… intensely. The other pair was standing, one person's arm slinking around the other's waist, looking over the balcony toward the ocean.

Brooke walked toward the opposite side of the apartment only to find a fully equipped kitchen with bottles lined up like soldiers and beers in a neat pyramid. She grabbed two beers for her and Lucas and walked toward the main room once again.

The music was blaring and she swung her hips seductively to the beat as she walked toward Lucas. He watched them swing back-and-forth, not taking his eyes off her body. After her little strip-tease before, all Lucas could think about was what he wanted to do to her as soon as possible.

"I was wondering where you were," he said, kissing her forehead, as she handed him one of the cold beers. "Let's go into one of the bedrooms."

"Why? Let's hang out with your friends for a little…" she said, pouting her lower lip.

"Don't look at me like that," he said aloud before moving his mouth to her ear. "And after what you did before we got here, you can't expect me to just sit here and keep my clothes… and yours… on," he whispered seductively.

She rolled her eyes playfully and moved her hand to his chest. "We have plenty of time. It's only three. The day is young," she smirked before walking toward an empty spot on the couch. Lucas sighed before slowly sinking into an extra chair. The group sat for awhile just laughing over meaningless, drunk stuff.

Owen sat in complete concentration rolling blunts for the group, passing lit ones in a circle. Lucas took a few hits for the hell of it but Brooke decided to pass.

As the group continued to chat, Lucas caught Brooke's eye and he gave her the pout-face that she had always been known to use.

She leaned toward him, resting her elbow on his knee and her cheek in her palm. "What's that face for?"

"I see these people everyday. Can you at least come and sit with me?"

"You're on a chair and I'm right next to you, silly," she smiled.

"Fine… sit _on_ me."

She looked at him skeptically since she wasn't normally a fan of PDA-action. He pouted again seeing her contemplate the idea. "C'mon baby," he said in his sweetest voice. "I wanna be near you."

She rolled her eyes before slowly getting up and sliding onto his lap. She hung her legs across him sideways and leaned into the crook of his neck, feeling the three beers she had drank in the past half-an-hour swirl to her head. He put his hand on the exposed small of her back and ran his fingertips across her flesh. She felt goosebumps rise on her arms and she giggled slightly.

She could feel the sideways glances of the people around her, but she didn't really care. She was comfortable with Lucas. She sat up straight and grabbed another beer off the table.

"Open it for me, please?" she asked running her free hand down his thigh.

He kissed her neck before opening the beer in her hand. "Can we go somewhere more private now?"

Two people walked in from the balcony that Brooke didn't recognize.

"Is it empty out there?" she asked the two as they joined the group.

"Now it is," they commented before sliding into their seats. Brooke looked at Lucas and kinked her eyebrow as an indication of where she wanted to go. The two got up simultaneously and headed toward the empty balcony. The sun was now setting over the crystal blue Pacific and Brooke couldn't help but smile at the scene.

"It's gorgeous here," she commented. Lucas slid onto one of the lounge chairs that sat on the overly large balcony. He put his hands behind his head while he watched Brooke lean over the railing to look at the gorgeous view. He watched her run her hands through her hair in an attempt to control it as a breeze came through.

"You're making me fall for you," he commented, the words falling out of his mouth without his control.

She turned to face him. "What?" she said confusedly.

"I don't know, Brooke… there's just something about you…"

"Don't say that Lucas. Don't you dare do that right now."

"Do what?"

"Don't tell me you're falling for me. I'm leaving in a little over a week," she laughed sarcastically. "You're never gonna see me again." She turned to face the ocean again, subconsciously shaking her head at what Lucas had just said.

He stood up and walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her neck tenderly. "Tell me a secret," he whispered, using the same line she had used on him.

She turned to face him so that she was pinned between the railing and his body. "I can't do this, Lucas. It's supposed to be fun."

"And it _is_ fun. Kissing you is beyond fun. Being with you is fun. You make me laugh, ya know?"

"But now you're making it serious…"

"I'm sorry," he said with fierceness in his eyes. "But I'm not gonna just let you put up your walls. Not with me. I know about walls, Brooke. I've been building them since I was in junior high. It's not always easier to block people out."

"But it is," she breathed. "It is easier."

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"_What the fuck are you doing with her?" Dan Scott demanded of his only son._

"_I'm taking her out for breakfast. Is that a problem?" he sneered before walking past his father. Dan turned around and grabbed his arm, pulling him back to where he stood._

"_She is not a friend. She is an employer. She is the daughter of two of our good friends and business affiliates…"_

"_And that's why I'm being nice, Dad."_

"_Oh, it has nothing to do with the fact that you probably wanna screw her?"_

"_No. It doesn't. She's great," he spat as he tried to break loose from his father's tight hold. _

"_Is that what you tell Lindsey too?"_

"_Keep Lindsey out of this," he yelled as he felt the blood rush to his head in anger. He wanted to punch someone. He wanted to punch his father. Who was he to tell him how to live?_

_Dan took a deep breath before continuing. "You know, son, one of these days, the games you play are gonna catch up with you. And they are going to drive away someone you actually care about. Not one of your little conquests, but a girl who you fall in _love_ with. She's gonna leave you because the only way you know how to treat someone is like _shit_," he said flatly. He shook his head in disappointment before letting go of his son with a shove._

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"No, it's not easier Brooke. Trust me," he sighed. "It's not easier to push everyone who cares about you away."

Brooke lifted his arm from where it rested on the railing and moved toward the lounge chair. She laid back onto the plush pillow that covered it and closed her eyes tightly.

"I have a favor to ask for," she stated a few moments later, her eyes still pressed closed.

"Anything," he said softly as he sat down on the edge of her chair. He reached into his pocket, suddenly becoming nervous, and pulled out a cigarette. He lit it and took a drag of it hoping that it would give him something to keep his mind off the situation at hand.

She opened her eyes slowly not wanting to face his piercing blue ones. She hated cigarettes, yet she couldn't help but notice how sexy he looked taking slow drags from the white stick. "Can you please, _please_, for my sake, stop being so serious and just kiss me and pretend that there's no expiration date on this whole thing?"

He smiled weakly. "_That_ I can do," he said before throwing the cigarette to the wind and kissing her softly.

She sat up to face him and edged closer toward him. Soon, she was sitting between his legs, her legs wrapped around his waist sloppily. He pushed her stray hairs out of the way to get a better look at her face. Her cheeks were pink from the sun and her eyes had gotten greener since she had arrived. He smiled at her and kissed her again. His hand slowly began to wander over her curves, and soon found their way up the front of her white tank top. She felt weak under his touch and as hard as she tried to fight back, to say that she didn't want to get attached, her arms wouldn't move and her legs wouldn't kick.

"I need to be with you," he mumbled into her hair taking in the coconut scent.

"Mhm," she murmured in response, still scared by the words that he was saying. She felt chills run up her spine as the wind blew over them once again. She pulled back from their kiss. "I'm freezing," she said as her teeth began clanking together quickly.

"I'll get you a sweatshirt, wait here," he smiled before heading toward the glass doors that separated them from the party.

He walked into the loud noise of music and talking. More people had arrived in the ten minutes they had been gone. He walked toward the bedroom to grab a sweatshirt and spare blanket from the closet. As he turned away from the closet to head out the door, he was greeted by Owen's large silhouette.

"What are you doing, bro?" Owen stated with a stone-like expression.

"What do you mean? I'm not the one flirting with your girl…" he spat angrily. He tried pushing past him but Owen held him back.

"No… _you're_ the one cheating on your girlfriend with the great girl you work for."

"I don't see how that's your business," he mumbled nervously.

"Does she know about Lindsey, Lucas?"

"I care about Brooke, okay man? I care about her."

"That doesn't answer the question. Does Brooke know that you've had a 'serious' girlfriend for the past five months?"

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously making sure his eyes didn't meet Owen's.

"Does she fucking know, Lucas?" he repeated, taking a step forward. "Does she know that you talk to Lindsey every-fucking-night? Does she fucking know?" With each word, his voice became louder.

"Just answer the fucking question."


	7. Unexpected

Brooke sat on the balcony with goosebumps running up her arms. The sun was setting over the Pacific and the air was getting increasingly chillier. She looked down at her phone to check the time. Lucas had been gone for ten minutes now, and she couldn't understand why it was taking him so long to get a jacket for her. Then, just as she slipped the Blackberry into her pocket, it began to blare her Britney Spears ring tone.

"Hello?"

"_Miss Davis? It's Rosalita. Mr. and Mrs. Davis are home. They would like you to join them for dinner as soon as you can."_

"Oh. Okay," she responded disappointedly. She had been hoping to spend the rest of the day and night with Lucas, but those plans now seemed out of the question. Her parents rarely requested her appearance, so she had no choice but to comply. "I'll get into a taxi now. Tell them I'll be home in a half hour please? Thank you Rosalita."

"_Yes Miss Davis. See you soon."_

Brooke hit the 'end' button and began getting up from her chair. She slid open the heavy glass door and the smell of beer and smoke entered her nostrils at once.

She surveyed the scene for Lucas but he was no where in sight. She walked over to one of the girls she had met earlier. "Do you know where Lucas is?" she asked. She didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to Lucas. Her stomach twisted nervously as the girl shrugged before continuing her other conversation.

"Hey, does anyone know where Lucas is?" she announced to the group. They were all huddled around a coffee table. From what she could see, Lucas was the only one who was missing.

Everyone shook their heads except for a boy who's name was Dylan. He nodded toward the back bedroom and Brooke mouthed a quick 'thank you' before walking in the direction of the room.

The door was closed, so she knocked before opening it. Before her were Owen and Lucas, both facing in her direction. Their faces were serious and once again, she felt her stomach churn. They looked angry, and she had a feeling it had something to do with her. Owen had been coming on to her pretty strongly earlier and Lucas made it clear that he would not let him get in the way without a fight.

"What's going on?" she asked confusedly. Lucas immediately broke into a forced warm smile.

"Oh, it's nothing... Owen was telling me something that happened with a friend of ours, so I was nervous. But, turns out, it's not a big deal," he lied. His eyes shifted toward Owen who was standing with his arms crossed. "_Right,_ Owen?"

"Sure, whatever…" Owen growled, his eyebrows still furrowed, before he excused himself out of the room quickly.

Brooke watched him leave and then turned back toward Lucas. She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off.

"I was just coming out," Lucas said as he eased over toward her. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. But I got a blanket," he said before retrieving the large fleece blanket from the nearby bed.

"Ugh," she moaned, pushing the Owen-Lucas situation to the back of her mind for a moment. "I have to go home. My parents are back. They wanna have dinner with me? I don't know. Maybe they took their crazy pills this morning," she chuckled.

"Okay, then let me drive you home at least?" He kissed her forehead before she shook her head quickly.

"Na, I think I'm just gonna take a cab…" she said nervously.

"Don't be stupid… Let me ta--…"

"Lucas, they don't know I've been seeing you," she blurted, her eyes focused on the floor.

"Well, they're gonna have to find out at some point," he smiled.

"I don't know, Luke. I mean… They don't really… you know…" she rambled nervously, not forming complete sentences.

"Oh. So you don't want them to know about me?" he said in a hurt tone.

"I do!" she defended herself. "Just not the second they get home. I want them to see you like I see you."

"And right now, I'm just your driver," he sneered before walking toward the door.

"Oh Lucas, stop that," she said as she blocked his way. "They just got home, they're probably grouchy and if they're asking me to join them for dinner, something's up. Tomorrow, I promise," she said before kissing him lightly.

He sighed before kissing her again.

"So are you gonna tell me what really happened with Owen?" she ventured, still not buying the excuse Lucas had fed her.

"I told you. I thought something bad had happened, but it was nothing."

"Are you sure? You seemed angry."

"That's just because I hate him for flirting with you," he smiled. He kissed her once again before she broke away.

"I gotta go. Call me later?"

"Of course baby," he replied before she walked out of the room. Although Lucas had promised that nothing had happened between him and Owen, she still had an uncertain feeling about the situation. She pushed the thoughts away in favor of ones of Lucas's eyes as she rode down the elevator to the lobby.

-------------------------------

Lucas walked back into the room where all his friends sat laughing together. Owen was seated in the group, but his face was hard and he remained silent. He watched Lucas intently as he slid into his seat, and Luca tried his best to avoid eye contact with him.

He wanted to punch him more than anything, but in his heart, he knew that this _was_ his mistake, as usual, and that Owen was completely right about everything. He ignored his aggressive stares and attempted to make conversation with the rest of the group in order to push away the guilt pangs that ate at his stomach.

He laughed as one of his friends told a story. The room went silent a few moments later, everyone's eyes drawn to the girl walking through the hotel room's main door. The girls all gasped and shrieked in unison as they all spotted who had entered the lavish room. They immediately all ran over to the strawberry blonde girl and hugged her.

"You look so good!" they squealed.

"I can't believe you got an early flight!"

It took Lucas a moment to process everything that was happening. Lindsey was supposed to be in _Aruba_ for another few days, yet she had just walked through the door and was now being enveloped in hugs from her friends. Lucas got up slowly, his legs suddenly feeling like jell-o underneath him.

"Lucas," she smiled warmly.

"Linds…" he said in disbelief. "I can't believe… wait, why are you home?" he questioned before wrapping his arms around her in shock and delight.

Lindsey pulled back a few seconds later, a humungous smile still plastered across her bronzed face. Her green eyes were greener than ever and Lucas had to admit: she looked _beautiful_.

"I didn't want to tell you, but my parents decided to come home earlier. Surprise!"

He looked at her, still in disbelief. "God, Lucas Scott… I missed you," she smiled before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss.

Lucas kissed her back forcefully, happy to see her. "I missed you too Lindsey. I missed you like crazy."

But he couldn't help seeing Brooke's dimpled face emblazed into his eyelids as he kissed the green eyed girl before him.

Owen watched from across the room in sheer disgust as Lucas Scott played with yet another girl's mind. But this time, it was a girl who deserved more than another Californian player.


	8. Divided

"Mother? I'm home!" Brooke's voice bellowed through the vestibule. Brooke placed her pocketbook on a small round table before waiting for some type of response from her parents. A few moments later, Victoria Davis stepped into the large entranceway with a smile plastered across her tanned face. Brooke couldn't tell if it was real or if her face was just stuck like that from the numerous botox injections she had gotten in the past years. Either way, she looked like a doll and once again, Brooke thanked her lucky stars that she did not actually have to _live_ in California.

"Hello my darling Brookie," she said in an overly fake and overly excited tone before kissing each of Brooke's cheeks. "I'm happy you could pry yourself away from that_ Scott_ boy to join us for dinner," she said in distaste.

Brooke blushed at the mention of Lucas's name before angrily walking past Victoria silently. "Where's daddy?" she asked over her shoulder as she entered the kitchen.

Victoria trailed behind her, wanting to make it clear to her daughter that she was by no means permitted to see Lucas Scott unless he was driving her to the mall. "Don't change the subject. Rosalita told me that our _driver_ has not been around for days because he's taken a liking to our daughter. Of course, he has to go for _my_ daughter. Were the hookers in the Valley not good enough?"

Brooke turned around abruptly to face her mother. "Do not talk about him like that, Mother. You do not even _know_ him!"

"And you do? God Brooke, you've been here for a week… less than a week… and you manage to find the poor little rich boy. His family's wealth wasn't enough, he had to go causing trouble everywhere…"

"He changed. He told me about his past…"

"And what about his _present_ Brooke!?" Victoria blurted in response, her tone becoming more jagged by the second. "He's working here _now_ for a reason… and it's not because of something he did last year or months and months ago. It's recent, Brooke Penelope Davis. It is all in his _very_ recent past."

"So he had a rough time!" she yelled. "What is the big deal!? He is human, just like oy and I. And plus, we are _just_ friends! Is this what you called me home for? To fight with me because daddy's clearly not around to put up with you?"

Victoria sighed before continuing. "I don't think you understand, Brooke. He is notorious for--…"

"…drinking, doing drugs, fighting with people. I know, Mother," Brooke said flatly, tears welling in her eyes. "But he makes me _happy_."

"How can a boy who has a girlfriend make you _happy_?" Victoria exclaimed in sheer frustration with her daughter's ignorance.

"He does _not_ have a girlfriend," Brooke said softly, a tear beginning to well into the corner of her eye.

"Brooke," she said as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "There is a girl who picked him up when his father took his car away temporarily…" she began.

"That doesn't mean they're _dating!_"

"Normally, I would agree, darling. But I don't think passionately kissing constitutes as a completely platonic relationship."

"Why are you doing this?" Brooke pleaded, tears now making slow trails down her creamy skin.

"Because… I do not like this boy and you deserve better. He comes from a great family, and your father and I owed them a favor. That is the _only_ reason that boy is working for us. Do you think I wanted him around you while you came to visit? The boy is _trouble_, Brookie."

"He does not have a girlfriend," she said as she headed for the stairs. "And I know him better than you do, that's for sure. So please, go back to being the un-motherly mother and stay out of my business and my love life!"

Brooke stormed up the stairs and into her room. She plopped onto the bed before beginning to sob into the nearest pillow she could find. It was just like her mother to come home to ruin everything for her. The _one boy_ who actually made her happy wasn't good enough for her overly-perfect mother, and she had to pay the price for it. Once Brooke could finally control her sobs, she reached for her cell phone and began dialing Lucas's number.

----------------------------------------------

"Baby, I missed you," Lucas murmured into Lindsey's strawberry blonde locks. "_God_, I missed you." He kissed her neck softly as Lindsey ran her hand through his already-messy blonde hair. She couldn't understand why, after being so distant on the phone and after starting fights night after night with her, he was being so nice. Plus, Lucas was never sugar-sweet like he was being right now. His mysteriousness was what pulled her in in the first place.

"Why are you acting like this?" she said once he pulled away from the crook of her neck.

"Like what?"

"You're being _too_ nice."

"It's just because I missed you," he said in defense. He felt a tinge of guilt in his stomach, but nothing that couldn't be pushed away with one hard gulp.

"You never act this nice… Did you do something that I should know about?" she asked skeptically.

"I didn't d--…" Before he could finish his sentence, his cell phone began vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw the name. _Brooke._ He couldn't answer the phone in front of Lindsey, but he also didn't want to ignore Brooke's calls. Especially since she didn't know Lindsey was back and he had yet to inform her of the white-lie he had told.

"It's my dad… one second," he stated before walking toward the bathroom of Lindsey's room. Once he got in, he closed the door softly before answering.

"Hey," he said, trying to keep his voice low.

"Hi," she sniffed. "I hate my parents. Actually, I hate my mom."

"I really can't talk Brooke," he interrupted. "I'm busy."

"What could you possibly be doing at 2 o'clock in the morning?" she questioned.

"Listen, Brooke, I gotta go. I'll call you in a little."

"Oh. Ok. Well---…"

And with that, before Brooke had even finished speaking, he hung up the phone and left the bathroom.

He slid back into the bed next to Lindsey in desperation to forget about the sound of Brooke's upset voice that was echoing through his head.

Lindsey looked at him worriedly before he spoke. "I'm not allowed to be nice to my girlfriend?" he asked, knowing what was bothering her. "I know I was weird on the phone… but I was working 24/7 and when I wasn't working, my dad was riding me about every responsibility I have to attend to. Speaking of, that was him telling me I have to be home in a half hour. So, we have two options… You can continue to think that I'm being nice because I'm hiding something…"

"Or?" she asked with a wry smile.

"Or… we can make up for the whole week that you left me alone here."

"I'll take the second option," she smirked before pulling her shirt off and kissing him.

----------------------------------------

Brooke fell back onto her pillows, worried about the abrupt phone call with Lucas. What had gotten into him? She was finally ready to let him in, to really let down her walls, to be completely, 100 herself with him. And, of course, this was the time he chose to put her on hold for whatever "important" things he was "busy" with at 2:15 in the morning.

She suddenly had the feeling that maybe her mother _was_ right about Lucas. Maybe she just hadn't seen it.

But what if he really _was_ busy, even though it was an odd hour? Maybe he was finishing something he had put to the side in order to take her out and to see her.

Suddenly, she began doubting Lucas's sweet words and kind actions due to her mother's not-so-eloquent lecture.

What if Victoria Davis was right?

What if Lucas wasn't what he seemed?

_No,_ Brooke thought to herself. _It's impossible. He's genuine. He cares about me. He makes me happy._


	9. Stuck

Lucas leaned up against the side of the Davis house with a cigarette hanging delicately between his lips. He took a long drag before running his free hand through his matted hair. He could feel the bags under his eyes and it seemed like he could feel every pulse and every motion of his internal parts.

He had a lot on his mind to say the least. He had left Lindsey's house around 4 in the morning and now that the Davis's were back in town, he had no choice but to begin working again. Working included being at the Davis estate at 7 each morning, so he had only received a mere three hours of sleep, and it was taking its toll on him.

However, of all the things that clouded his mind, Brooke was the most prominent. He hadn't planned for all of this to happen. When Lindsey had left, he had no intention of cheating on her. But he had. And he had done it with a girl who was not just any other girl. Brooke deserved more than a guy like him; this much he knew. And Owen had made it completely clear if he hadn't realized it on his own. But, Lindsey's early arrival complicated his plans. He had wanted to spend the rest of the vacation with Brooke by his side and had anticipated that things between he and Lindsey would get right back on track when the two girls returned to their normal lives: Lindsey in California, Brooke in North Carolina.

He wasn't sure if one of his friends had let Brooke know about Lindsey's unexpected arrival yet, but he didn't doubt it. After being lectured by Owen, Lucas had no doubt that he had called Brooke immediately after seeing Lindsey walk through the hotel room's door.

She was leaving soon, though, so normally, he wouldn't have to worry about her nor explain himself to her, which saved him the heartbreak of watching her hurt.

But, these were not normal circumstances. Before meeting Brooke, he was the Davis's driver. And he had an obligation to continue his work, whether Brooke was around or not. He owed it to his father. He owed it to the Davis's.

He would only have to deal with Brooke for another few days before she was on her way back to the east coast and then she could go home and curse his name for the rest of eternity.

He didn't want to be etched into her memory like that.

"Lucas," Brooke called happily from the other side of the lawn breaking Lucas from his whirring thoughts. She bounced over to him, seemingly unaffected by arrival of his girlfriend, if she even knew.

"Hey," he said softly as she reached him. He threw his cigarette to the ground and put it out with the toe of his shoe. He stood nervously for a second, not knowing what she would say or do. Maybe she was acting nice so that she could get close enough to slap, or maybe even choke, him.

But, instead of lunging at him, she placed a soft kiss on his lips. "You look like shit," she commented, noticing his tired appearance.

"Thanks," he replied sarcastically. "I was up late."

"Yeah, so was I…" she started. She had stayed up until 3:30 waiting for Lucas's promised call, but it never came. "You never called me."

_Shit_. "Yeah, I'm sorry… I got so caught up in what I was doing and then just passed out. I didn't wanna wake you up."

Her face became sad and serious instantly. "I needed to hear your voice," she said softly. "I got into a fight with my mom about--..."

"I told you I was sorry, Brooke," he stated sternly, his lack of sleep affecting his attitude.

Brooke was taken aback. Was this the mellow, loving boy that she had spent the last week with? Tears burned the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them go further than that.

"You don't have to be so obnoxious about it, Lucas."

"I'm sorry," he said tenderly before placing his warm hand on her face. "I just… I have a lot on my mind."

She smiled at him sympathetically, putting her problems with her mother to the side for a moment. "Anything you wanna talk about?"

"Not really," he stated.

She sidled up to him, wanting to be close to him. Victoria could say whatever she wanted. Brooke just felt it when she was close to Lucas. She was crazy about him.

He placed his hand on the back of her head nervously. "Brooke…" he started. _Tell her. Tell her._

"Mhm?" she murmured into his chest.

"I… I'm…" he fumbled with his words before feeling himself chicken out. "It sucks that your parents are home and I actually have to drive them around," he breathed nervously.

"Yeah, but maybe I'll even let you take me for a ride every now and then," she smirked at him from his chest.

He forced a light chuckle at her sexual innuendo.

"Lucas, I have to ask you something," she stated, her tone becoming serious again. "I mean… I know it's not true. It's just my mom wanting to start trouble… But I have to make sure."

Lucas gulped uneasily, realizing where this conversation was heading. He kissed her softly on the lips, realizing that it would possibly be the last time he would get to.

"Do you wanna go inside?" he suggested, knowing that Brooke's screaming would wake up the entire neighborhood once she found out the truth.

"Yeah, I guess…" she said nervously. She couldn't understand why Lucas was changing the subject. As they walked across the lawn, he laced his fingers with hers: something else that would possibly never happen again in a few moments.

Once they were inside, Brooke put her back against the door. Lucas decided to avoid the conversation for as long as possible. He couldn't hurt her. He couldn't let her know that there was someone else when all he wanted was to spend her last few days kissing her.

So instead of confessing, he put his hand on the door, above her shoulder, and kissed her passionately, his body rubbing against hers.

"Lucas," she murmured between kisses. "I really need to talk to you."

In response, he just kissed her harder. "It can't be that important if you're playing with the hem of my shirt," he chuckled before diving in to meet her lips again.

She placed her hand softly on his chest and pushed him backwards lightly. "It is. I just need to ask you a question."

Once again, he gulped down as hard as he could and racked his brain for another method that would distract her from the heavy tension that lingered in the air.

"Are you seeing someone?"

"What?" he asked, feigning surprise.

"You heard me, Lucas. Is your 'friend with benefits' really a girlfriend?"

He closed his eyes tightly, hoping that maybe this was a dream.

"She's your girlfriend," Brooke answered for him, noting the look on his face. "She is your girlfriend."

Her tone was flat, yet somehow, it affected him more than screaming would. He knew she cared, but the shock hadn't set in yet and her voice was emotionless.

"How could you do that to me?" she whispered as a tear made it's way down her porcelain skin.


	10. Crash

_How could he do that to me?_

"You have a girlfriend," she breathed again, tears slowly falling down her face. He reached his hand out to wipe the droplets off her creamy skin, but she whacked his hand away from her just when he was mere centimeters from her face.

"Brooke… I didn't…" he started, but by then it was too late. She stormed past him, intentionally hitting his shoulder as she made her way to the kitchen. It was only 7:45 in the morning, but she needed a strong drink... fast. She opened up the freezer door and grabbed the cool bottle of vodka from it.

The reality still hadn't set in for her, but she knew that numbing the pain would be easier than facing it when it did seep into her heart. Lucas raced into the kitchen following her and watched the clear liquid fall into the glass easily.

"Brooke, you gotta let me explain…" he said to the back of her slim body.

"Explain what?" she questioned innocently keeping herself turned away from him. She knew if she faced him, if she looked into his baby blue eyes or at his perfectly delicate jaw line, she'd fall apart on the spot. "How you blatantly lied to me without flinching or how you acted like you cared about me? Because I don't really think you 'explain' either one of those things to me."

She took a swig of the vodka and felt the burning liquid travel through her body. It'd been awhile since she felt this way. Even last time, when she had confessed her feelings to her fuck-buddy-turned-crush, it had been a let down, not a betrayal. This was different. Lucas was supposed to be _different. _

"You know what Lucas Scott? You're not as tough as you act," she noted as she turned around, keeping her eyes locked on the center of his forehead, avoiding his eyes. "You act so strong, but you're not. Lying is for the weak."

"You're not so strong either, Brooke," he found himself retorting.

"You don't even know me," she spat back.

"I know enough. You put up… you put up _walls_ to keep everyone out and now that I got past your best defenses, even if I lied to do it, it scares you shitless."

"You did **not** get past my walls. Do not even think you are _worth_ that kind of entry into my life. This was a vacation… you were just fun…" she tried to convince herself, but more importantly, Lucas.

"Brooke," he said, his tone becoming soft. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"No, you meant for it to happen. You just didn't mean to get caught."

----------------------------------------------

Since Edward Davis had only needed a ride to work at 8:00 in the morning and wouldn't need Lucas until 9:00 late that night, Lucas was forced to hang around the Davis house, unoccupied, for the next few hours.

"Lucas, darling," Victoria Davis purred as she walked into the kitchen where Lucas sat.

"Hey Mrs. Davis. How was your trip?" he asked with a small smile.

Talking to Victoria had been uncomfortable before, but now that Lucas knew Brooke was locked in her room, presumably crying, it made things ten times worse.

"Oh, you know… the usual. Edward made business connections and negotiations at the parties and I drank martinis and smiled," she laughed lightly. "I assume you and Brooke have become _friendly_," she hinted.

Lucas gulped, knowing that this conversation was going to be less than fun.

"Yeah," he forced. "She's a great girl. Any guy would be lucky to have her."

"Well, according to Rosalita, you two have been quite _cozy…_ which is odd, because I recall you having a girlfriend," she replied bitterly while tapping her lips in false contemplation.

"I really like her… a lot, Mrs. Davis," Lucas said softly, raising his hand to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. "Things just got… _complicated._"

Victoria looked at him skeptically, first searching for what her daughter saw in the tattooed boy and then looking for honesty in his eyes. He _was_ a teenager, and he _was_ bound to make mistakes. But he was playing with fire, and if he hadn't gotten burned already, it was bound to happen.

"I don't see the complication. If you care about someone, you don't intentionally hurt them, whether it's my daughter or that blonde girlfriend of yours."

"I don't know what to do," he confessed, his tough barrier breaking down before her eyes. "Brooke… She's like a breath of fresh air. She doesn't put up with my, excuse my language, bullshit. Neither did Lindsey, but Brooke… I don't know what you did… but whatever it was worked. She's great."

Victoria lowered herself into the chair across the table from him, suddenly feeling sympathetic for the blonde boy. "Unfortunately, I can't take credit for how Brooke has turned out," she sighed. "Her father and I have been less than attentive for most of her life. She was forced to grow up alone with the assistance of friends and nannies."

"Well, you should know she's great and I realize that even though I did hurt her. She's bubbly and sweet and independent and confident sexy without being trashy… I don't know how she does it."

"Do you care about this Lindsey girl?"

"I don't know anymore," he confessed. "I really don't know."

"Do you care about my daughter?"

He nodded. "Way more than I should in such a short time… and way more than I should considering I have a girlfriend."

"Well, I'm not the most motherly figure and I'm definitely no expert on love," she laughed dryly. "But it sounds like you need to make a decision. Brooke's my daughter, and of course I want the best for her, whether it's with or without you in the picture. But she's going back to North Carolina. If whatever you're feeling for her is strong enough to possibly make it work and you're ready to be with her, _you fight for her_. You fight like hell until you've broken past every wall and every barrier. You prove that you care, no matter what it takes…"

Lucas nodded in Victoria's direction, his mind processing the advice that the woman was giving him.

"But if Brooke _isn't_ who you want, you still owe her an apology. And you owe it to Lindsey to tell her the truth, which I assume you haven't since you _are _a male."

Lucas let out a small laugh at her final comment, but could see her point clearly: he had a decision to make.

"For someone who doesn't know about love, you sound like you've gotten it all figured out."

"Ah, the one thing that Brooke and I have in common. We don't always have it all together, but we always have the answers," she winked before beginning to stand up. "Well, darling," she started as she smoothed her skirt. "I'm off to the spa. Driving myself, can you believe it?"

"Why? I can drive you," he said, standing up now as well.

"Have you not gotten the message, dear? You have some wounds to heal."

Lucas nodded, forcing another small smile. Victoria waved before turning on her heel and heading toward the door. As she opened it, Lucas called out to her.

"Mrs. Davis?"

She turned around. "Yes, Lucas?"

"Thank you," he smiled. She nodded, smiling sadly and walked out the front door, leaving Lucas standing alone, brooding over the decisions he had to make.

---------------------------------

Brooke lay in her bed with tear stained cheeks. She was all cried out, and now only jerked occasionally with a post-crying hiccup. She hadn't left her room since this morning and she didn't intend to. She had heard the front door slam and she waited a few moments, hoping that Lucas had left. As she reluctantly raised her weary body in her bed, hoping to finally leave the confinement of her room to get a coffee, there was a knock on the door.

She stayed silent, pulling the covers to her chin in a fear that was almost child-like.

"Brooke?" the deep voice said from the other side. "I know you're in there. I'm coming in, so I hope you're decent."

The door creaked open slightly to reveal Lucas's toned body.

"Hi," he said softly as he crept through the small crack.

Brooke remained silent in her bed, trying to keep her composure. Tears began building up behind her eyes again, but she willed them back refusing to let Lucas see her weak. She crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling extremely exposed as his eyes searched her face and body for the slightest bit of sympathy.

"Can I sit?" he asked. She shrugged as he slowly sat down on the very edge of the king-sized bed.

"Why are you here, Lucas?"

"You know, your mom is smarter than you give her credit for," he began, trying to remain calm even though his heart was racing.

"Yeah, I realized that. She was the one who told me you were trouble, and I ignored her. And look where that got me," she spat.

Lucas sighed heavily. "I know you hate me right now. _I know_. I deserve it. I shouldn't have lied to you. But you have to realize _why_ I did it. From the second you stepped out of the airport, I knew you were something special. And I know I act like such a tough guy, but you had this… this_ effect_ on me. Like, I just wanted to be around you and get to know you. And when I had that opportunity I took it. I took it and I ran with it. And suddenly, having a girlfriend didn't really matter and my tough guy image didn't matter. All I wanted to do was impress you, and talk to you, and kiss you and see your dimples embedded in your face," he said, forcing a smile at the last sentence.

Tears were now pressing at Brooke's eyes, trying to force themselves to escape from the hazel abyss.

"I knew that if I told you I had a girlfriend I wouldn't have a shot in the world with you. You… you deserve a thousand times better than a guy who makes you feel like I did. But me lying doesn't mean I don't care about you."

"You don't care about me, Lucas. We've known each other for two weeks!"

"That's the problem, Brooke!" he said, his voice now raised in frustration. "Why the fuck do I care about you this much?! It took me months to fall in love with Lindsey, and here I am, feeling things stronger than I've felt with her in all these months and I haven't known you for more than fourteen days!"

Brooke cringed at the mention of her name. _Lindsey._

"Stop using that word around me. The only thing you feel for me is _lust_. There's a very big difference between the two."

"I'm not saying that I'm _in love_ with you. It's only been two weeks, dammit! All I know is that as of this moment, the way I'm feeling is… it's scaring me shitless! All the sudden, I'm being distant to my girlfriend, and I'm cheating on her and I'm fighting for a girl I've known for two weeks who's going back to her home across the fucking country in three days!"

"Lucas…" Brooke started, taken aback by his words. It was almost as if he was coming to these realizations before her eyes.

"No, Brooke. Don't say anything," he sighed, his voice returning to it's normal, mellow volume. "I'm going to Lindsey's to break up with her."

He stood up slowly and walked over to where she sat.

"People make mistakes. I'm sorry I hurt you, but I don't regret lying. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have had a chance to fall for you. And I know you were falling for me too. You'll realize that no matter how badly this hurts right now, it's gonna be worth it in the end if you just give me a second chance." With that, he planted a soft kiss on her forehead and walked out of her bedroom.


	11. Torn

**I just wanted to say thank you to ****Jessica**** for her novel-length amazing comment. Just a little note: I am actually going to finish this story, like, no hiatuses nothing. The only reason it took awhile to post the last chapter was because I was away for a week and a half and then had so much make-up work to do for school plus a huuuuge research project. But now that I'm back, I'll be updating regularly! Thanks for all the amazing comments! Keep it up!**

**-------------------------------**

"So, now I don't know what to do," Brooke sighed into the Blackberry. "I mean, he hurt me, Hales. I don't even know why I care so much… What did I expect out of this, a relationship?"

"It sounds like you really care about him. I haven't heard you talk about, much less get _upset_ about, a boy like this since Ad---…"

"Don't mention him," Brooke interjected. "I feel like I'm in that position all over again and I don't wanna feel that way."

"The difference this time is that Lucas cares about you, too… It just took a mistake for him to realize it," there was shuffling and a mumbled conversation in the background before Haley continued. "Brooke? Rachel wants to talk to you. I love you. Give him another chance, okay?"

Brooke nodded to herself and mumbled an, "I love you too," as she heard the cell phone being passed from girl to girl in Tree Hill.

"Hey hoe," Rachel said into the phone. "What's going on with blondie over there? Do I need to kick his ass?"

Brooke let out a light chuckle. "I don't know!" she burst. "I don't know what to do. He has a _girlfriend_, Rach."

"Well, that's never stopped me," she replied with a smirk.

Brooke sighed again. "Trust me, slut, I know… But… I don't know. If he cares, or _cared_, about me, he shouldn't have lied."

"Or maybe he lied so that he had the _chance_ to care about you," Rachel stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well, once again, I let someone in and I got hurt because of it…"

"You see, that's your problem. You don't like to let people in, and when you do, you expect them to never make the kind of mistakes that are gonna hurt you. And when someone you care about _does_ make a mistake, you think they've completely fucked you over and you're rarely willing to let them back into your life."

"That's not true!" Brooke defended.

"Oh, really? Then why did you completely shut Adam out of your life after he begged you to have some kind of friendship? The boy called you every weekend to see you, not even to fuck you, but you completely shut him out."

"It hurt too much to know he didn't want me back," Brooke replied meekly.

"But now you'll never know if friendship could turn into something more because you didn't give him a chance."

"Rachel…"

"No, Brooke, you listen to me," Rachel started, her tone becoming even more serious. "You can't keep doing this. You are my best friend, but you need to learn that people make mistakes. You sure as hell have. If no one ever got a second chance, everyone in this world would be alone, don't you understand that?"

Brooke felt the tears welling in her eyes. Rachel was right. She never gave people time for explanations nor did she dole out second chances when it came to her heart.

"You're right," she admitted, a tear rolling down her cheek. "You're completely right."

"Don't cry, Brookie," Rachel said softly. "I'm not telling you to forgive him immediately. I'm just telling you not to completely write him off. Let him fight for you, but make sure you give him a chance, okay?"

"I only have three days though," she sobbed softly, the tears streaming faster now.

"Aren't you the one who said that, 'people who are meant to be together always find their way in the end'?"

------------------------------------

"I'm so happy you're here, baby," Lindsey purred as she kissed Lucas softly.

"Hi Linds… listen, we have to talk," he said as he lowered herself onto her bed.

"Talk?" she questioned as she placed one knee on each side of his body, straddling him. "Why talk when we can…" she difted. She nuzzled his neck affectionately and kissed the spot behind his ear that she knew drove him crazy.

He cocked his head back and allowed himself to close his eyes for just a moment to savor the sensation that formed wherever her lips touched. How could he let go of this girl? God only knew how long it'd be before Brooke even kissed him, much less slept with him. He may have liked her, a lot, but that didn't make him any less of the horny eighteen year old boy that he was.

"Lindsey," he said, shaking himself back into reality just as her lips grazed his own. "We gotta talk. I'm serious."

She pulled back and retracted her hands from his body, her face becoming serious. "What's going on, Lucas?" she said with furrowed eyebrows.

He slowly removed himself from under her body, lifting her legs gingerly from his lap.

He sighed heavily. Was he making the right decision? "I… I think we should start seeing other people…"

Her face immediately dropped. "Wh-what?"

"Yeah," he said, bringing his hand up to his neck and rubbing it sheepishly. "I'm sorry."

"But… but why?" she choked, tears forming in her green eyes. "I haven't cheated on you sin--…"

"I don't wanna talk about that, Linds," he stated, his anger rising at the mention of the topic.

"Lucas, it was four months ago. I think it's time to move on…" she said with a dry, sarcastic laugh. "Is that why you're breaking up with me? Because guys think I'm hot? Because if that's the reason, Lucas, you are absolutely ridiculous."

Lucas stood up, his temper flaring. "Are you kidding me? You think that you cheating on me with _Nathan_ four months ago is why I'm breaking up with you _now_? You must be kidding."

"So what's the problem Lucas?!" she burst. "Two days ago you were being overly nice to me. While I was away, your phone calls were short except for the _one night_ that you called me back at two in the morning. I came home _early_ for you, to be with you, and now you're breaking up with me."

Tears were now flowing down his face, and his heart ached momentarily, noting that this was the second girl that he cared about that he had made cry today.

"Something happened while you were away…" he gulped. "I wasn't sure if I was gonna tell you, but you should know."

"What happened, Lucas?" she sobbed softly. "We can fix it. Breaking up isn't the only answer."

He sighed. "For this, it is. You know the family I work for?"

She nodded solemnly.

"They have a daughter. Brooke. You haven't met her. She came out here for vacation. She lives in North Carolina. I've been… I've kind of been seeing her."

"Define seeing her," she asked, her eyes crinkling in the corners as she tried to make sense of the situation.

"Lindsey…"

"Define seeing her," she repeated, raising her voice slightly.

He put his head down shamefully, knowing what it was like to be cheated on.

"You've been sleeping with her?"

"No," he defended. "We haven't slept together, I swear!"

"So, you've been kissing her? And that's it?"

"Yeah…"

"Okay," she gulped. "But, we can work past that. I cheated on you and we both got through it, so we can do it again."

"Lindsey… you don't understand."

"What am I not understanding?" she burst. "Breaking up _doesn't have to be the answer_! I love you Lucas, does that mean nothing? Just because you've been seeing that whore doesn't mean you have to put all the time and effort we've put into this relationship to the side. We can make it work!"

"Don't talk about her like that!" he yelled. "I care about her. A lot. I didn't expect to cheat on you, much less to fall for her, but I did. And if she's a whore, God only knows what you are because you were the one who cheated on _me_ last time, if you don't recall. Brooke, that's her name, _Brooke_, didn't even know about you. I lied to her about having a girlfriend. So if you're gonna blame anyone blame it on me."

"You didn't even mention me?" she asked meekly.

"Lindsey…" he said softly. "I never meant to hurt you."

"Well, it doesn't really matter now Lucas, because in the end, it all hurts just the same."


	12. Puzzle

"Brooke?" Victoria Davis called as she opened the door to Brooke's room slightly. "Can I come in, darling?"

Brooke nodded slowly in her bed, surprised by her mother's sudden warmness.

"I just wanted to tell you that no matter what happens with that Scott boy, you are the brightest star, even if you're standing next to the sun. And I know I don't say it often," she laughed nervously, "but… I love you, dear. I just don't know how to show it all the time… well, I really don't know how to show it at all."

Brooke sat up at this statement and became fully attentive, her mouth dropping slightly at the words. She didn't have words to respond, so she just sat there, a shocked expression adorning her face.

"Well, okay," Victoria said, faking a smile, hurt by Brooke's silence. "I'm going to meet Lauren Greeley for manicures. I'll see you later, darling."

Brooke nodded, still unable to form words. Victoria smiled once again before turning toward the door.

"Mom!" Brooke called as Victoria slowly closed the door behind her. Victoria turned to face her, noting the tears that were forming in her eyes.

"I love you too," Brooke smiled.

----------------------------

It was 8 o'clock when Brooke's stomach rumblings got the best of her and she moved from her bed for the first time all day.

As she walked down the stairs, she sloppily pulled her hair back into a pony tail. Her make-up was no longer existent due to the tears that had washed it off completely.

She walked into the kitchen only to find Lucas sitting at the table, facing her. She paused in the doorway for a moment, trying to fathom if he was an illusion or if he was really there.

"I broke up with her," Lucas stated plainly. Brooke just nodded, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"You know, she cheated on me," Lucas stated in a dreamlike way. "She and my brother were screwing each other behind my back for a month, right at the beginning of our relationship."

Brooke just continued to stare at him, confused and stunned by the situation. Lucas continued speaking, despite her expression.

"She told me she loved me right after I found out about her and Nathan. And I believed her. Nathan and I stopped speaking, and he decided to move to somewhere on the East Coast to live with an aunt, because living with me became impossible. I constantly looked for ways to attack him and hurt him in the way that he and Lindsey had hurt me. And because of his move, we haven't talked since…"

"I don't think I was mad because I loved her. I think I was mad because I was just constantly angry at everyone. Lindsey had acted like she cared about me, ya know? But, you don't cheat on the people you love. I was in a bad place, even before I got together with her. The first girl I loved had broken up with me because of how much coke I was doing at that time. After trying to make me better, I pushed her so far away that she gave up. I was failing school… fighting with my teachers… fighting with my friends… fighting with my parents… having sex with any girl who came my way, especially if I was high. So when Lindsey came along and was willing to put up with me, I couldn't say no. My heart was just hurting and my brain didn't know what to do to fix the messes I created. So even after she cheated on me, I _needed_ her… I _needed _to feel _needed_."

Brooke had now eased herself into the seat adjacent to him, and had subconsciously put her small, manicured hand on top of his big, strong one that had a road map of scars upon it.

"But I never loved her. I told her I did. But I _never_ loved her… you should know that… I loved the feeling of being wanted. I loved having one secure thing in my life. When I went to rehab over the summer, she visited me a lot. Almost every weekend. But, she had never tried to get me to stop doing drugs prior to me leaving. She knew I was bad, and she knew when I started to blackout every single weekend to numb everything. But she never tried to tell anyone, and she never asked me to re-evaluate what I was doing. She ignored it, and pretended I was fine... even when people came to her asking if I was gonna be okay."

Tears were now welled in Brooke's eyes.

"When I got back from rehab, I didn't expect to still be with her. I mean, she was home the entire summer without me, even if she did visit. But, then I came back, and she wanted to be together, and part of me felt obligated and part of me felt like I needed that security to be okay. I felt like I needed someone on my team, since my parents were less than thrilled with me at this point. Nathan was living God-knows-where, and I just needed someone to not give me shit for my mistakes. I wanted to start clean. So, I stayed with Lindsey…"

"Lucas…" Brooke interrupted, seeing Lucas's emotions spill onto the kitchen table.

"No, it's okay," he said, squeezing her hand. "Being with her was easy. She let me take my time, but she didn't try to help me. Not once. But I didn't feel strong enough to let her go. So, I guess I talked myself into loving her. I pretended that she was something that made me happy and that I had to be good for not only myself, but for her. And I haven't done any of that shit, besides pot and cigarettes, since. So, I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that, before you came, I needed Lindsey. I needed motivation to stay out of trouble. But, it took you coming here for me to realize that I've only been fooling myself…"

He gulped before continuing.

"I know you're only here for three more days. And if you don't wanna see me ever again, I promise to stay out of your way. But the only reason I lied to you was because I was afraid that if you knew about Lindsey, you wouldn't give me a chance. When I saw you, something just told me that I needed to get to know you. And at first, I was willing to... as friends. But then you smiled and all the sudden lies were flowing out of my mouth, and I couldn't control them."

"Luke, let me talk," Brooke interjected, ending Lucas's long winded and heart breaking speech. "I want to let you in. I want to… so badly. But, my heart just _can't_. I have these walls, and you were finally getting past them… And then, this all happened. How do I know that you won't do the same thing to me as you did to Lindsey, no matter how long I'm here for?"

"Because, I said it before... You don't cheat on the people you care about."

"Yeah, but you don't lie to the people you care about, either," she retorted.

"Imagine if I hadn't lied to you."

"Well, I'd be a hell of a lot happier right now and I would still have my make-up on!"

He rolled his eyes playfully, eliciting a small smile from Brooke. "You and I both didn't expect anything emotional to come out of this… but it did. Lies or not. So you can either spend the next three days avoiding me, or letting me win back your trust. It's your choice."

"These speeches have been nice, don't get me wrong. But I need you to _prove_ everything you're saying."

"And I will, Brooke! Anything you want, anything you need, I'm here."

"Anything?" she asked, kinking her eyebrow seductively.

"Anything," he breathed. "So, what do you say? Spend the next three days with me."

"Okay," she stated, letting Rachel's words fully sink into her. "But this is your final chance, Lucas Scott. So you better not do anything stupid."

"Never again, Pretty Girl. I promise."

She smiled, flattered by the name, before speaking again.

"Lucas… why'd you tell me all of that?" she asked, her face once again becoming serious.

"Because, I wanted to let you in. I care about you. And I hope one of these days you'll trust me enough to let _me_ in to _your_ world."

"But we only have three days," she breathed.

"Three days left together, but that doesn't mean that's where we end," he stated matter-of-factly with a shy smile.

She smiled again, touched by his words. Maybe he did deserve another chance. Maybe he would really prove to be the guy she thought he was.

"One more thing…" she stated, her face twisted with different emotions. "You know how you said your brother moved to the East Coast, but you don't even know where?"

"Yeah…?" he replied, his face becoming confused.

"I… Well, this is really weird, but… my best friend is dating a Nathan. And he lives with his aunt and he's only lived with her for a little while… But he's never told me where he moved from… he doesn't like to talk about it, or something…" she rambled nervously, trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

Lucas gulped, hard. He hadn't spoken about Nathan in quite some time. His parents had stopped keeping in touch with Nathan as well, due to the multitude of problems that his entire family had. It had been around eight months since he had last seen or spoken to him. He had no clue where he was.

"What's his last name?" Lucas questioned.

"It's not Scott, if that's what you're thinking…"

"Just tell me what it is," he stated.

"Roe."

Lucas gulped, once again. "That's my step mom's maiden name."


	13. Plans

"Hales? Can I ask you a question?" Brooke said, as calmly as she could, into her cell phone.

"Yeah, anything. What's up?"

"First of all, how long have you and Nathan been dating?"

"Hm… six and a half, seven months, maybe?"

"Ok…" she stated. She covered the mouth piece of the phone for a second and mouthed 'seven' to Lucas, who was sitting on her bed. He nodded nervously. "And what's his aunt's name again?"

"Beverly," Haley stated, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"And his uncle's name is…"

"Richard." Haley's confusion was mounting by the moment, but she continued to comply with Brooke's interrogation.

Brooke looked over at Lucas and mouthed 'Richard and Beverly.' He put his head into his hands and shook his head. Brooke assumed that this meant that it in fact _was_ his brother, but she wanted to be absolutely positive.

"And when's his birthday?"

"June 25! What the hell is this Brooke?! The third degree?! The Spanish Inquisition!?"

Brooke couldn't help but giggle at Haley's outburst. "I don't know what a Spanish Inquisition is, but I'm pretty sure this isn't one, Tutor Girl. I'm just… I'm just trying to figure something out."

"Well, could ya tell me what it is so I can just give you the flat answer?"

Brooke looked over at Lucas, who was now staring out her window, brooding. She had never seen him so deep in thought.

"I'll tell you when Lucas and I figure it out for ourselves."

"You mean you guys are talking!?" Haley said happily, forgetting about Nathan momentarily.

"We're working on it…" she stated, keeping her eyes on a distraught Lucas. "But I'll tell you that later. I'll see you in two days," Brooke said with a sad smile.

"Love you, B."

Brooke clicked the phone line dead and sat next to Lucas.

"When's your birthday?" she whispered, rubbing her hand down his back consolingly.

"June 25."

He looked up at her and they locked eyes. His seemed so fragile, something she had never thought she'd see in him.

"It's him, isn't it?" he asked.

She nodded slowly.

"This is fantastic… I was supposed to forget about him! I wasn't supposed to hear from him or think about him or see him for the rest of my life!" he shouted.

"Lucas, it was bound to happen… He's your brother... Your _twin_ brother, at that."

"Are you good friends with him?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah… I am," she admitted. "He's dating Haley, who's my best friend. And he's the star of the basketball team, and I'm the cheer captain… so we were bound to become friends… it's like, mandatory in the Big Book of High School Rules and Regulations that the cheer captain and basketball captain become buddy-buddy," she said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Have you ever… done anything more than friendly?"

"Oh, Lucas," she said waving a dismissive hand in the air. "Please, don't do this."

"I just need to know," he shrugged.

"We… we used to date," she confessed. "It was the first month he moved to Tree Hill. We fought a lot though, and it never became anything more than… more than physical," she stated, mumbling the last part intentionally. "But he met Haley through me, so when he and I broke up a month after we started dating, he started hanging out with her more and more…" her voice faded out.

"Okay," he nodded as calmly as he could. "Did you sleep with him?" he questioned.

"Lucas… do you really wanna hear about my sex life eight months prior to you?"

"Not really," he said with furrowed eyebrows. "But I just need to know."

"Luke…"

"Brooke, just answer the question!" he burst suddenly, putting his pent up anger toward Nathan on Brooke.

She frowned at his attitude, trying to reassure herself that he was only being like this because he was upset. She nodded slowly. "I'm sorry," she choked out. "I didn't know you then…"

He smiled at her sadly, and she forced a melancholy smile back.

"So, I guess that makes us kinda even…" he stated, trying to lighten the mood. "I lied to you, and you slept with my brother. Fucked up lives we lead…"

"Hey! Me sleeping with Nathan before I even met you is a good thing! It shows that the Scott… or Roe… or whoever the hell you both are… boys are… hm.. what's the word I'm looking for?" she said, tapping her lip in exaggerated thought.

"Irresistible? Sexy?" Lucas ventured, a smile creeping onto his face.

"No… I think the word I was looking for was _easy_," she teased.

"Oh, is that the game you wanna play?" he said with a smirk.

And with that, Lucas pushed the day's drama of Nathan and Lindsay to the back of his mind, and enveloped Brooke so that she was pinned down on the bed underneath him while she squirmed, giggling, in an effort to release herself from Lucas's hold.

------------------------------------------

Brooke lay in bed later that night, restless beyond belief. She stared at the ceiling. She tossed. She turned. But something in her gut told her she had to help Lucas and Nathan come back together.

She grabbed her phone from its resting spot on her night table. She dialed the number quickly, completely from memory.

"Nathaniel," she sang as the boy answered the phone.

"_Penelope, it's two in the morning here. Are you crazy?" Nathan yawned into the phone. _

"You know I hate when you call me that!" she whined, ignoring the second part of his statement.

"_And you know I hate when you call me Nathaniel!"_

"So, Nathaniel," she said rolling her eyes. "I'm thinking of staying in California for an extra day or two, since we have another week until school starts up. You know what I think? I'll tell ya…"

"_Why do I have a feeling this is gonna have something to do with you forcing me to do you a 'favor'?" he said, smiling into the phone. _

"Because, Boyfriend of Tutor Girl, it does," she giggled. "How about you, Hales and Rach come here for a few days?"

"_What's the catch?" he asked, contemplating the idea in his head._

"Well, you have to tan, swim, surf, shop, and enjoy yourself… Think you can handle it?"

"_And who's paying for this fantasy trip?"_

"Me, dummy!" she chirped.

"_You are way too bubbly for me right now…"_

"And that means you're coming, right!?" she gushed.

"_Do I really have a choice?"_

"Nope, not really," she smirked deviously. "I'm gonna go book your flight now, and I'll text you the information. You'll be here by late tomorrow night."

"_You know you're insane right?"_

"You know you love me, Nathaniel…"

"_Stop calling me that, Penelope!"_

"Never. I'll see you tomorrow night!"

------------------------------

Brooke awoke the next morning with all intentions of avoiding Lucas… at least until Nathan, Haley and Rachel arrived. But as she walked downstairs to the kitchen, rubbing her eyes opened, she couldn't help but let her jaw drop as she watched her mother and Lucas laughing as they cooked breakfast together.

She faked a cough to catch their attention. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you two were being featured on the Food Network," she said sarcastically as she sniffed the sweet smelling air.

The two turned around simultaneously, and Lucas smiled widely.

"I was just showing your mom how to make a mean scrambled egg," he stated before walking over to Brooke and kissing her forehead.

"Yes, yes. I admit. I haven't cooked since… well, ever. We've always had Rosalita!"

"Now I see where I get my natural ability to make burnt cookies," Brooke giggled.

"Look what Lucas brought over with him," Victoria stated as she nodded toward the table. A bouquet of gorgeous flowers sat on it with a small business-sized card attached. Brooke smiled at Lucas, cocking her head to the side adoringly, before going over to read the small note.

'_The beginning of me proving myself… -Lucas_'

She smiled again and walked over and hugged him tightly.

"You may think you win with your surprises for me, but don't worry… you're not the only one," she stated with a wink.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" he asked with a chuckle.

"You'll find out tonight," she smirked before sitting at the kitchen table, taking a bite of the eggs that her mother had placed in front of her.


	14. Reunion

**EDIT: AUTHOR'S NOTE – ****PLEASE READ**** – **Hey everyone. I got a few complaints about this chapter so I just wanted to clear some stuff up.

Nathan and Lucas knowing each other isn't supposed to be a main plot line. It's just supposed to be a way to tie everyone together, that's why their fight is so short. Plus, this isn't a Nathan-Lucas-Brooke story, so I didn't want to drag it out.

I know there hasn't been a lot of Brucas in the past few chapters, and I kinda just want to get back to them (along with most of the readers). So, I'm sorry for the abruptness of this chapter.

You're kinda just supposed to get the whole family-fights-but-in-the-end-they-love-each-other vibe so that you understand why they make-up easily. It's been eight months, they're twin brothers, both of them are tired of fighting. They each kinda say their piece and then realize that blood is thicker than water. If you have a sibling, I'm sure you've done the same type of fight-quickly-make-up-after thing,

Anyway – with that said, thank you for reading! And to those who already reviewed, thanks! There have been NO ALTERATIONS to the actual chapter.

------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------

As Brooke waited in the airport for her three best friends to arrive, she couldn't help but wonder if trying to reunite Lucas and Nathan was a bad idea. What if Haley had mentioned that Brooke was dating a guy named Lucas from California to Nathan? Wouldn't he put the pieces of the puzzle together, just like she and Lucas had?

_Well, obviously not Brooke, because then Haley would've known why you were interrogating her about Nathan for and Nathan wouldn't have agreed to come…_she thought to herself.

She sighed as she twirled a piece of hair around her finger. Lucas had asked her to go for dinner, an "official first date," he had called it, but Brooke was forced to decline. When Lucas had asked why, she mumbled a lie about wanting to go to sleep early because she "wasn't feeling well." Lucas had looked at her skeptically, but with the pout that Brooke sported, he couldn't ever disagree with her.

She wondered what Lucas would do for the night without her. Fear swept over her, replacing her nervousness. _What if he chose to hang out with Lindsey?_

However, her fear was quickly replaced by happiness as Rachel bounded over to her happily.

"Hi hoe!" she smiled and hugged Brooke.

"Hey slut!" Brooke smiled, hugging her best friend tightly.

Following Rachel was Haley. She was smiling widely.

"Tutor Girl!" Brooke said happily as Haley joined the hug.

"Where are your bags?" Brooke asked once the three had parted.

"Well…" Haley said with a small smile playing on her face. Before she could finish, Nathan appeared pushing a cart of four huge pieces of luggage and holding one on his shoulder as well.

The three girls giggled wildly at Nathan's distraught face. He may have been athletic and well-built, but the luggage was a balancing act and Nathan struggled to make sure that nothing fell off of him or the cart.

"Well, well, well, Nathaniel…" Brooke smiled. "You sure look tough with that pink tote on your shoulder."

"Shut up, Penelope," Nathan mumbled as he let the bag slide off his shoulder. He walked over to her and gave her a warm hug.

"I'm never flying with you two again," he said, not breaking the hug, but still eyeing both of the girls who now stood directly in front of him. The two only laughed in reply.

----------------------------------

_Pretty Girl, you're breaking my heart. Let's at least go get a drink or something! It's only 12!_

Brooke smiled as she closed her cell phone. Although she was still uneasy about Lucas and his possible actions, she figured he wouldn't be texting her if he was with Lindsey, or any other girl for that matter.

She was sitting in her room with Haley and Rachel while Nathan unpacked himself. While they were in the car on the way home, Victoria had called her and informed her that Brooke's father had received an emergency call from work and that the two of them were leaving for New York immediately. For once, Brooke wasn't upset about her parents leaving for a trip without properly saying goodbye. This time, she was grateful that she and her friends would have the house to themselves for a few days.

"So, why are we really here?" Rachel asked bluntly, taking another bite of ice cream from the tub that the three were sharing.

"What?" Brooke asked, trying to fake confusion as best as she could. Haley's confusion, however, was real.

"I know that you didn't invite us here because you missed us. You were supposed to be home in a day. So are you gonna tell us what's going on or not?"

"Maybe I just wanted us to have a mini-vacation together!" Brooke retaliated.

"Liar. Why would you want us here when you and Lucas are probably gonna be getting hot and heavy in the next few days?"

Brooke realized that her game was up: her friends knew her too well. She looked at Rachel angrily for figuring her out and stuck her tongue out playfully. She got up and closed the door so that Nathan wouldn't be able to hear what she was about to tell her two best friends.

"Okay, promise you won't be mad and promise that this is completely secret," Brooke stated, sticking both of her pinkies out.

Each girl grabbed one and said "promise" in unison.

"Well… I know this is gonna sound nuts but… Lucas and Nathan are twin brothers."

"WHAT?" both girls burst, not expecting the news to be _that_ big.

"Yeah… Lucas's girlfriend, the one he was dating until a day and a half ago, cheated on Lucas with Nathan a little less than a year back. The two of them started not getting along to the point of Nathan leaving for Tree Hill. The reason he moved in with his aunt and uncle was because their parents stayed here. Lucas refused to speak to Nathan, and his parents basically stopped keeping in contact with him too. I mean, I'm sure they occasionally call him, but Lucas never knew where he was…"

"So, Lucas is Lucas Roe?" Haley squeaked.

"No… Roe is their step-mom's maiden name. Nathan is legally Nathan _Scott._"

"Oh my God," Rachel said, her jaw hanging.

"Holy macarole," Haley said softly.

"Hales, I know you're like, a saint, but you have permission to curse in a situation like this," Brooke stated, trying to hold back her giggling in the serious moment.

"So, you, Being Brooke Davis, brought Nathan here so the two of them could re-connect and live happily ever after?" Rachel asked.

"Exactly," Brooke nodded.

"Holy shit," Haley stated to no one in particular, still in a daze, trying to process the information.

"And where do we come in?"

"Well, if you think Nathan is stubborn, you haven't met Lucas."

-----------------------------

"Brooke?" Lucas called into the house once he realized that the door was unlocked.

"I'm in the kitchen!" she called back.

"Oh, so we finally get to meet the infamous heartbreaker," Rachel whispered from across the table. Brooke nodded.

"Yeah, I've heard about this guy and I don't like him already," Nathan stated causing all three girls to gulp nervously.

Nathan's back was to the door, and only the three girls were visible from Lucas's standpoint.

"Hey," Lucas said in his sexy voice as Brooke bounced over to him. He kissed her on the lips lightly.

"Lucas, these are my friends from Tree Hill…" she said, turning toward the group. Nathan's back was still to them, keeping up his tough-protective-guy act.

"That's Rachel, that's Haley…" the two girls smiled at him, "And you already know Nathan."

Lucas's smiled twisted into a frown as he realized who the dark haired boy really was.

Finally, Nathan turned around hearing Brooke's statement about the Californian already knowing him. He looked up at the blonde boy.

"Lucas?" he stated in shock, keeping his blue eyes locked with Lucas's matching ones.

"Nathan… What the hell are you doing here?" Lucas asked angrily. He glared down at Brooke, knowing that this reunion was her doing. And then, before anyone had the chance to say anything, he bounded for the door.

"Excuse me," Brooke mumbled as she chased after him.

----------------------------

"Lucas, wait!" she cried as he reached for the door's handle.

"Brooke, you shouldn't have done this," he said, still facing away from her. His hand was gripped tightly around the door's gold knob and he was sure that if he pulled it hard enough, it would probably come out. He could hear his heartbeat and his anger was rising by the second. _Breathe,_ he told himself. _Breathe._

"I was doing it so that you and your brother could end this! You're fighting over a _girl_! A girl who you said didn't even mean that much to you!"

"Don't you get it, Brooke?!" he yelled, turning around. "It's not about the girl. It's about my _brother_ betraying me!"

At that moment, Nathan walked in behind Brooke and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe I should just go home," Nathan suggested quietly.

"Oh yeah, good idea Nate. Walk away as usual…" Lucas sneered.

Nathan sighed. "Lucas, I'm sorry… How many times do you want me to say it?" Nathan realized that this _was_ his fault. The only reason he had left was because Lucas wouldn't even look at him, much less betray him.

"Sorry? You're _sorry?_ You are my _brother_. My _twin brother_. And you fucked me over for a girl."

"I know, man," Nathan said softly stepping closer toward him. "And I can't even tell you how sorry I am about it. I didn't think back then. I just acted on my impulses. And if I knew I'd end up losing you by doing it, I wouldn't have. But we were both different people back then… You had a lot of problems, Luke. And you know that now, I hope. And I'm not the same either. I never used to think my actions through but this whole thing has taught me that I have to. A lot has changed in the past eight months…"

"Eight months and counting," Lucas retaliated.

"I called you _all the time_!" Nathan shot back, ignoring Lucas's last statement. "Every single day for the first month I was gone. Your phone was off most of the time, and then mom and dad changed your number for whatever reason, and then, whenever I called the house, Karen said you didn't wanna speak to me!"

"Because I didn't! And I still don't!"

"Maybe you haven't changed, Luke. Karen said you were getting better… I spoke to her two days ago, and she said that she's never seen you smile so much. She said that you and Lindsey broke up, and you were still smiling."

Brooke felt herself blush, knowing why Lucas _had _been smiling.

"Yeah. I have been happy. And now that you're back," he said, shooting Brooke a glare, "you ruined that!"

"We weren't only brothers, Lucas. We were best friends. You can push me away all you want, but at the end of the day, it's your _family_ who's there for you."

Lucas sighed, knowing it was true. "If I forgive you, that doesn't mean things are gonna be the way they used to be."

"I'm not expecting it to be," Nathan smiled softly. "But it's a start."

And with that, the two brothers hugged, each of them patting each other on the back.

"I missed being able to talk to you little bro," Nathan said as they pulled away, gripping his shoulder.

"I missed it too… Kinda," Lucas joked, pushing Nathan lightly.

The three girls stood in the doorway smiling at the scene, Brooke pulling each one close to her.

"You did it!" Haley whispered into Brooke's ear excitedly.


	15. Confusion

The five teenagers sat around Brooke's kitchen table talking, and most importantly, laughing. Brooke and Lucas sat next to each other, and as much as Brooke had missed her friends and Lucas had missed spending time with his brother, the two of them couldn't sit still without occasionally touching one another. Lucas would squeeze Brooke's leg affectionately underneath the table whenever she said something cute or funny, and whenever Brooke laughed, she would lean onto Lucas's shoulder giggling.

Of course, Rachel, being Rachel, instantly noticed this, and while Brooke and Lucas were in their own little world, she mouthed, "let's go" to Nathan and Haley. The two nodded, but remained still waiting for Rachel to make a subtle move toward the door.

"Well, as much as the three of us would _love_ to stay and watch you guys have eye-sex and grope each other, I think Nathan, Haley and I are gonna go shopping," Rachel said bluntly. "This is getting a little too kinky for me."

Haley put her face into her hands and shook her head. "So much for subtle," she mused aloud. Brooke and Lucas both felt themselves blush momentarily as they watched their other three friends stand up.

"Are you sure you wanna leave? I promise we'll be good if you stay," Brooke said, faking sympathy, although she would _not_ mind if the three left.

"Oh, who are you kidding Brooke? I know that face… It's like that time we were all at the pizza place and you and Nathan started to---…"

"Okay! That's enough!" Nathan interrupted, putting his hands over Haley's ears. Although Nathan and Brooke had been short lived, both of their wild antics had given them their fair share of… memorable… stories. "It's fine. I love shopping," he stated quickly, rolling his eyes.

"Alright, if you insist," Brooke smirked and nudged Lucas. The group, minus Lucas, rolled their eyes playfully at the two. They all said their goodbyes and Haley, Nathan and Rachel headed toward the door.

"Wait, Nathan!" Brooke said hopping up from her spot. Nathan turned around and watched as she grabbed the pink tote bag that he had been sporting at the airport the previous night from its spot on the kitchen counter. "You almost forgot this!" 

"Ha-ha, very funny Penelope…" he said sarcastically before turning to leave.

Brooke snickered to herself, amused by her sense of humor. As she turned around to where Lucas was still sitting, she couldn't help but notice his scowl.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she slid onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and his arm found its way to her hips, gripping her protectively.

"I still don't trust him," he stated as he watched intently as the three walked away. "He's my brother, and I'll always love him, but I don't trust him… Not yet at least."

"It's gonna take time, Luke, but you need to give it a chance."

"You two have history, right?" he asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

"If you wanna call it that," she chuckled. To her, Nathan had been nothing more than a few weeks of sex and drama. They were much better off as friends and he was very much in love with Haley from what she could tell.

"What if he does the same thing he did with Lindsey to you?"

He was looking into her eyes now, and instead of the strength she normally saw, she instead saw a weakness. 

She placed her hand on the side of his face and cocked her head to the side. "Hey, listen… Nathan isn't like that anymore from what I've seen in the past months. He loves Haley. He and I were purely physical and full of drama the first time around. Why would he wanna do that again? Why would he want to do that _to you _again? _And_ even if he did, _which he will not_, do you think _I'd_ ever do that to you?"

He sighed. "It's not that I don't trust you, because I do, Brooke," he started. "But after what I did to you, I wouldn't blame you if you did. And he and Lindsey weren't anything emotional, either. It was purely physical…"

"You're just gonna have to give him another chance to prove himself."

"Kinda like what you're doing with me?" he replied with a sly smile.

"Something like that…" she smiled before kissing him lightly. His hand found its way to the back of her head, and he rested it there, pulling her closer for a more passionate kiss. 

"You can't leave," he murmured between kisses. He trailed his lips along her collarbone, sending chills up her spine.

"Stop it!" she giggled as Lucas's lips made their way to the spot behind her ear that drove her crazy. He ran his hand up from her knee to her thigh as he smiled against her neck.

Lucas pulled back and looked into her eyes. "What are we doing down here when we have your bedroom?" he said, a seductive look in his eyes. 

"Don't think you get me that easily, mister… you still have a lot of fighting to do," she winked before kissing him again.

---------------------------------

Lindsey laid in bed, her eyes puffy from all the tears that they had released in the past days. 

She had loved Lucas; she really did. She just hadn't known how to handle him. That was why she cheated. Because while Lucas used drugs to escape everything, including her, Nathan was attentive and told her she looked beautiful that night… Because Lucas was great, while he was sober, but Nathan always called…

But now after two tear filled days, she was done crying. This wasn't her fault. She had made a mistake. This was the mystery brunette's fault. It was time to win back her Lucas from that boyfriend-stealing-bimbo that he worked for.

-------------------------------------

Lucas woke up late for the first time in days. It was a Saturday and the Davis's were out of state, so he had no obligations. He stretched, yawned and grabbed his cell phone quickly before walking downstairs to his kitchen. 

To his surprise, he had no missed calls from Brooke. He put his phone on the table as he pulled an apple out of the refrigerator. As he closed the stainless steal door, his phone began ringing.

He smiled to himself. Hoping it was Brooke, he quickly reached for it. But to his surprise, it wasn't.

"Hello?" he asked in confusion.

"_Lucas, I really need to talk to you…"_

_-------------------------------------_

He had no clue to why he was sitting outside the white house. Her voice had sounded urgent and panicked and despite the fact that he had told himself he wanted nothing to do with her, he had ended up in front of her house wondering what could have her so wound up.

He knocked on the door and waited for Lindsey to answer.

"Lucas," she breathed when she finally opened the door. She looked tired and upset, but she still managed to force a smile for the boy she loved. 

"Lindsey, what's going on?" he asked, pushing past her into the house.

"I don't know, I just… I just miss you Luke," she said nervously, biting her lip.

Lucas sighed heavily. "_That's _why you called me here?" Although Lindsey's hair was strewn about, and her eyes were puffy, she still managed to look good, and Lucas noticed this. 

"Lucas… I love you. I need you. I know I cheated on you and I know I wasn't always there for you like I should've been. But I'm still only 18. Your problems were beyond me, and I didn't know how to handle them. I wanted to be with you, but you weren't always the Lucas Scott that I love. Sometimes, you were that boy and sometimes, you were the mess that I would have to throw into my car and bring home with me so your parents didn't find out. And when Nathan came along, he just… he just was more interested in me than you were. But it doesn't mean I didn't love you. It was just my way of escaping the way drugs were your way…" Lindsey said tearfully.

Lucas opened his mouth to reply, but instead, was met with Lindsey's lips crashing onto his.


	16. NOTE

Hi there everyone

Hi there everyone. I know you all hate seeing a chapter alert and finding out it's only an author's note, but… I just have to tell everyone that I'm putting this story on hiatus. I'm getting bored of writing it, and it's not fair to keep you guys hanging on. I'm in love with what I've done to Split Ends (formerly Fork in the Road), and I'm putting my effort into that and another story that'll soon be up.

So read Split Ends and look out for more stories.

I'll be back with this one eventually.

-Sarah


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